Punta Gorda votes to not tear down ‘Rat House,’ exploring other options

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Rat house
Rat see outside ‘The Rat House’ on Belaire Court in Punta Gorda. (Credit: City of Punta Gorda)

The future of a rat-infested home in Punta Gorda remains up in the air after a city council vote on Wednesday.

The votes comes nearly a decade after the homeowner abandoned the house, leaving the city to decide whether they will demolish it or fix it up.

Council members and the mayor felt that knocking down the house was not worth the cost. Instead, the city voted to get the home appraised before deciding what to do next.

“I’m not inclined to spend any more money on the house, we’ve spent a lot of money on this house, trying to get it to the point where we are right now,” said Punta Gorda Mayor Lynn Matthews.

‘The Rat House’ on Belaire Court in Punta Gorda. (Credit: WINK News)

Neighbors along Belaire Court call the home ‘The Rat House’ after the rodents took over the vacant home.

WINK News first visited the Punta Gorda neighborhood in 2019 and saw the rats firsthand.

People in the area say the rats are still here so they want the city to tear the house down.

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