“Just went inside and everything was burnt down; two days ago, it was fine — depressing,” Toporek said. “I don’t know who does this, but this is a Detroit legend. Depressing.”
When crews from Engine 60 arrived Thursday evening, fire was coming out a window on the second floor of the two-story bungalow, according to a firefighter at the scene. Firefighters were able to put out the blaze, which destroyed portions of the top floor. The fire department did not have any information on a cause today.
The home on Dresden, originally pictured on the cover of his 2000 release, The Marshall Mathers LP, was most recently owned by the Michigan Land Bank. The government program that manages vacant properties – including 11,000 in Detroit – was auctioning the property, with minimum bids starting at $1. The home was listed on the land bank website Friday, but its status was unclear.
According to public records, Deborah Mathers bought the house in 1987 for $19,900, agreeing to pay the couple who owned it $3,000 down and $220 a month. In 1994, the couple issued a deed to Mathers, who on the same day signed the deed over to Ann Investment. The property changed hands about 10 times before the Wayne County Treasurer’s Office foreclosed for non-payment of taxes in 2001. A company listed as EM & UU Properties bought the house for $1 in 2009 before it was abandoned. After the house failed to sell for $500 at a Wayne County Treasurer’s Office auction, it was turned over to the Land Bank.
The website Zillow.com lists the worth of the 767-square-foot bungalow on a 40-foot by 120-foot lot at $32,885.
