SOUTH WAYNE - A fire Tuesday night at an unoccupied house in South Wayne caused no injuries but is "suspicious in nature" and under criminal investigation, according to Lafayette County Sheriff Reg Gill.
Firefighters arrived around 9:20 p.m. to find the back porch fully engulfed in flames on the small farmhouse at 5510 County D.
No one is currently living in the house, Gill said. State property records and online real estate records show it was sold as a "fixer upper" in October 2016 to Brandon and Stephany Murray.
"It's a house that they've been doing some work on," Gill said.
The Department of Criminal Investigation is assisting the Lafayette County Sheriff's Office in the investigation of the fire.
Records show that Debborah Bartosik acquired the house in 2014 at a value of $15,000 from her brother, Scott Bartosik, and subsequently entered into a contract to sell it to the Murrays in October 2016 for $49,500.
The contract stipulated monthly payments of $668.21, payment of all taxes and that the Murrays "keep the improvements on the Premises insured against loss of damage occasioned by fire, extended coverage perils and such other hazards as Bartosik may require, without co-insurance, through insurers approved by Bartosik, in the amount of the full replacement value of the improvements on the Premises."
She is suing the Murrays in Lafayette County Circuit Court for a breach of that contract, arguing that they are delinquent on monthly payments and taxes and have "failed to keep the improvements" on the insurance.
Bartosik filed the civil case in October, demanding payment of $44,912.43 from the Murrays, "who have refused and failed to pay said sum or any part thereof."
Court records show Brandon Murray has other money-related problems. He is also a defendant in a small claims case for over $9,000 and an open civil case in Lafayette County. Both cases are related to a November 2016 two-vehicle accident near South Wayne in which Murray was found to be at fault.
At about 1:45 p.m. Wednesday, the house on County D was still smoldering and South Wayne firefighters were hosing it down with water. Surrounded by yellow caution tape, the house was standing but heavily damaged, with half of the roof caved in, the interior blackened by smoke and all of the windows broken.
A real estate listing made prior to the Murrays' purchase described it as a "majestic older home" with a new roof on the front porch and all new windows, doors and kitchen.
Sheriff Gill said firefighters fought the blaze until almost 4 a.m. Wednesday morning. Fire departments from South Wayne, Argyle, Gratiot and Browntown responded.
"They were still on scene when I got there a little after 2 a.m.," Gill said, adding that he remained at the scene until about 6 a.m.
Firefighters arrived around 9:20 p.m. to find the back porch fully engulfed in flames on the small farmhouse at 5510 County D.
No one is currently living in the house, Gill said. State property records and online real estate records show it was sold as a "fixer upper" in October 2016 to Brandon and Stephany Murray.
"It's a house that they've been doing some work on," Gill said.
The Department of Criminal Investigation is assisting the Lafayette County Sheriff's Office in the investigation of the fire.
Records show that Debborah Bartosik acquired the house in 2014 at a value of $15,000 from her brother, Scott Bartosik, and subsequently entered into a contract to sell it to the Murrays in October 2016 for $49,500.
The contract stipulated monthly payments of $668.21, payment of all taxes and that the Murrays "keep the improvements on the Premises insured against loss of damage occasioned by fire, extended coverage perils and such other hazards as Bartosik may require, without co-insurance, through insurers approved by Bartosik, in the amount of the full replacement value of the improvements on the Premises."
She is suing the Murrays in Lafayette County Circuit Court for a breach of that contract, arguing that they are delinquent on monthly payments and taxes and have "failed to keep the improvements" on the insurance.
Bartosik filed the civil case in October, demanding payment of $44,912.43 from the Murrays, "who have refused and failed to pay said sum or any part thereof."
Court records show Brandon Murray has other money-related problems. He is also a defendant in a small claims case for over $9,000 and an open civil case in Lafayette County. Both cases are related to a November 2016 two-vehicle accident near South Wayne in which Murray was found to be at fault.
At about 1:45 p.m. Wednesday, the house on County D was still smoldering and South Wayne firefighters were hosing it down with water. Surrounded by yellow caution tape, the house was standing but heavily damaged, with half of the roof caved in, the interior blackened by smoke and all of the windows broken.
A real estate listing made prior to the Murrays' purchase described it as a "majestic older home" with a new roof on the front porch and all new windows, doors and kitchen.
Sheriff Gill said firefighters fought the blaze until almost 4 a.m. Wednesday morning. Fire departments from South Wayne, Argyle, Gratiot and Browntown responded.
"They were still on scene when I got there a little after 2 a.m.," Gill said, adding that he remained at the scene until about 6 a.m.