A Youngstown woman is demanding answers after her home was demolished one day after she said she installed new windows and had paid thousands in renovations.

Although the city said the Haseltine Avenue home owned by Natiera Garcia is a hazard, Garcia said she feels blinded by city leaders. The home was demolished on Tuesday, after it was red-tagged on April 1st. 

Garcia said that after her family escaped a fire in 2022, she's since spent thousands on home improvements that have gone to waste.

"It was heartbreaking? It was devastating," she said. 

Last week, she said she repeatedly tried to contact the city to stop the demo, alleging that when she got through to the city, an employee in the code enforcement department gave her the impression that demolition could be stopped. 

"I was reaching out every single day from April 1, from the time that they told me, then they told me it could be stopped," she said, "They told me the demolition could be stopped if I would call in and, you know, let them know, inform them I was remodeling the home."

While she said she's never gotten or heard from the city before, the city said "repeated notices" to repair or face demolition have gone out since 2022, with no reply.

The city said proper protocols were followed by code enforcement, and that the home hasn't been up to code for years, including before the fire happened, with "maximum penalties," and that lack of repairs has continued. 

"I had plans on moving me and my children back in here within the end of the end of the summer," she said, "So obviously we won't be moving back in here, and I own the home."

Garcia said she will be pursuing legal action.

While the city has faced criticism over demolitions, with two of eight demo lawsuits in the past five years resulting in the city paying restitution, the city said demolition isn't taken lightly and takes measures to ensure procedures are followed. 

There have been over 3,000 demolitions over the past five years in Youngstown.