Commissioners moved a step closer to ordering the demolition of a vacant house at 617 W. Fourth Street.

Commissioners ordered that the house either be demolished by Sept. 26, or else $55,000 be placed in a city escrow account to ensure that there are adequate funds available to bring the property up to city code.

City staff members have been working with the representatives of the property owners — a trust involving Jeanette Denton and Norma Jantz — since 2002 to improve the condition of the property.

Earlier this year, the commission was close to ordering the demolition of the property, but stopped the process after the property owners said they were able to hire a contractor to proceed with repairing the home.

About $45,000 worth of work was done at the property, but worked stopped on the house following a financial dispute between the property owners and the contractor.

That dispute is part of the reason the city is insisting that money be put into an escrow account if further work is undertaken on the property.