Michigan Township Forced to Maintain Home on a Street That No Longer Exists

Blighted homes and properties are a nuisance in nearly every community around the country. Michigan's Rust Belt cities and townships are no exception.

A sad case of a neglected property in Ypsilanti becomes more intriguing when you learn the street it's on no longer exists.

The home is on Laverne Street in Ypsi and has sat vacant since its owner passed away in 2021 seemingly with no one to pass the home on to. The house sits in Ypsilanti Township rather than the city so it falls to that governmental body to oversee it.

The property was discussed during a summer 2024 board meeting were it was revealed the house was subject to

break ins, squatters and vandalism to the property. We have worked with the Washtenaw County Sheriffs Department to remove the squatters, hired a contractor to board up all of the windows on the lower level and hired a contractor to remove the overgrown vegetation that impairs the ability of WCSD to monitor the property. The overgrown vegetation also provided cover for the squatters to gain access to the house.

All done at a significant expense to the township.

The home, located at 570 Laverne Street, is now on the market, listed for nearly $150,000. Some see the exterior boarded up condition while others gawk at the outdated interior of the home.

What may be most intriguing is that Laverne Street doesn't exist. The street appears to have been abandoned years ago as part of a roadwork project expanding US 12 through the area.

MORE MICHIGAN LORE

• What's the Biggest Little City in Michigan?
• What is the Least Michigan-like City in Michigan?
• Michigan Actually Has 4 Southernmost Points

The topic of the home came up on the Ypsi subreddit of Reddit and a commenter was able to track down the original plat showing a Laverne Street. However that street is gone today, running roughly where the red lines on this map are:

The short driveway coming from Ecorse Road onto US 12 appears to be the access to the home on Laverne Street and there appear to be be no other properties that bear a Laverne address.

👇🏼BELOW: These Tiny Michigan Counties Have Less than 10,000 Residents + What Michigan Cities Have a Big Sibling - Little Sibling Relationship?👇🏼

With the home for sale, it's hoped a new property owner will be able to take possession of the home and restore it to good standing in the community and offer some relief to neighbors who have had to deal with the nuisance.

And just think, if you owned the home, you could live on a street that doesn't exist.