ORLANDO, Fla.,None — A condemned house in Orlando that has been a problem property for years is now a pile of rubble.
The house on 36th Street, known for drug activity and prostitution, was demolished Friday morning.
It is just one of dozens of homes in the area that will be torn down.
For neighbor Randall Hobbs the demolition is a sign of progress.
“We don't need the crime, especially around here," Hobbs said.
Hobbs lived a block away from the old, dilapidated house that he says became infested with crime. Because of the illegal activity Orange County Code Enforcement decided to tear it down.
WFTV learned that there are dozens of houses across Orange County just like the one demolished Friday, and those houses are bringing down property values and attract crime.
"You don't know what is going to happen. Like the other house over there, people were sleeping in there and it caught on fire," said neighbor Kim Colon.
In 2011 the county spent nearly $200,000 to tear down 29 condemned properties.
Code enforcement officials say they're able to re-collect most of the money they spend through property liens and neighborhood stabilization grants.
Workers say it is going to take another day or two for them to clear the pile of rubble from the demolished house.