LA FERIA – La Feria city officials are on a deadline to get abandoned buildings that have been maintained by taxpayer's money removed. 

Resident Barbara Barbro lives blocks away from the abandoned building located on Business 83 and Rabb Road. She said the abandoned buildings could cause safety and health hazards in her community.

"People are throwing stuff in the building, and I would be afraid of rats and mice and drugs and anything else that could be stored in there,” said Barbro.

Inside the abandoned building, onlookers can see several mattresses, shattered glass and ever growing plant life. Barbro said she came to the Rio Grande Valley in 1989 and the building is the same as it was back then.

“I don't want to bring any of my guests down Business 83 because of that building,” said Barbro.

La Feria City Manager Jaime Sandoval explained taxpayers pay for the upkeep of the property. Sandoval said the city owns part of the building and can’t touch half of the building because it has another owner.  

Sandoval said the city had a private meeting about the building on Tuesday.

The city is trying to come to an agreement with the other owner.  

"To go over what we’re going to do with that property, and the goal is to demolish everything that's there. But before we can do that, we have to take possession of the property,” said Sandoval.

Barbro wants action immediately.

"It needs to be cleaned up because La Feria is a good town to live in and to me that is just a terrible hazard, safety hazard,” said Barbro.

She said she hopes an agreement doesn't take another decade.

Sandoval said once an agreement is made it will take up to 60 to 90 days to demolish the building.