YOUNGSTOWN - Imagine buying a home and then a year later, it's demolished without you knowing.

That's what happened to a Youngstown woman, but the city said it was a safety hazard and they followed code.

Christina Stammers bought the home on the 3,000 block of Hudson Avenue for $6,000 last November with plans to renovate it, but in January, Stammers was shocked to find the home completely gone.

"Without notice," she said, "We were not given any opportunity to correct anything. We were not notified."

Superintendent of city code enforcement, Mike Durkin, said this happens when a house is in such bad condition, it poses an "imminent danger," and with an Emergency Demolition order, no notice is required.

"This house had a completely failing and sagging roof... trees growing out of the foundation," Durkin said, "Which means the fire chief has to go there and assess the property to determine if his firefighters go in there... are they going to get hurt or killed?"

Stammers said she saw the home before buying, spoke with previous owners and knew there were problems with the home, but said she did not get a home inspection.

"Maybe we bit off more than we could chew honestly," she said, "We were having a hard time getting the project going."

Stammers signed a contract to buy the home "as is," indicating the seller isn't responsible for disclosing issues with the home.

That means you're buying everything that comes along with the home...including a potential order to be demolished.

To avoid a situation like this, Durkin said it's vital to get a prior home inspection and speak with the city, auditor and treasurer to learn of any issues with a home that could lead to demolition.

"Buyers beware," Durkin said, "because what you're buying... you're buying it."

21 News reached out to the previous owner of the home called Spa 2 LLC and they said "no comment."

Durkin said while most cases aren't this extreme, some years he sees as many as 20 cases where people lose homes after discovering more problems than they bargained for.