Possible hope for abandoned Bella Cerra ranch

There it sits, abandoned and empty—that ghostly, boarded up faux Tudor mansion on Marsh Creek Rd. just outside the city limits. Who owns it? And why on earth would they leave it to decay and rot for over seven years, home only to rats and graffiti-obsessed squatters?

At one time, the six-acre ranch was home to Victor Weber and his horses.

Weber bought the property at the corner of Russelmann Rd. and Marsh Creek in March of 2001. A mortgage of $999,000 was recorded in July of that year. He built the 5,700 square foot house and 10-stall barn in 2002.

In 2010, Weber, a shyster insurance agent was convicted of running a Ponzi scheme that defrauded investors to the tune of $800,000. Weber sold life insurance to third party investors when the insured no longer needed the policy. For example, a parent outlives his kids and no longer needs the policy. The investor takes over the payments and eventually receives the payout when the insured dies.  Problem was—Weber never bought the policies. He pocked the investors’ money and spent it on personal and business expenses.

When the law caught up to him, Weber was sentenced to three years and eight months in prison.

When he went to jail in 2011, the lender took possession of Bella Cerra—Weber’s name for the ranch, and  listed it with real estate agent John Fink for $1,495,000. That was then.  This is now.

Loaded down with liens and litigation arising out of Weber’s conviction, the property has been unsellable. And after seven years, the house, 7-car garage and barns are completely trashed inside and out. The buildings have been stripped of anything that could move – light fixtures, switch plates, wiring, appliances, doors, cabinets, moldings are all stolen, wrecked or broken.  And everything that has a surface has been fair game for the spray paint-wielding vandals. Gang tags, phone numbers, four-letter words and unintelligible writings cover the walls and ceilings. Broken glass, trash, old mattresses, butts and discarded syringes litter the floors.

According to Fink, there have been several parties interested in the property over its six years on the market. “Fortunately, the interested parties have stayed interested,” Fink said.

Fink says it’s unlikely the property will be sold as a residence. “Initially, the property wasn’t constructed very well,” Fink noted. “But, I’m not a contractor, so I can’t say if it’s salvageable or not.”

Local realtor, Pete Laurence recalls that there was standing water under the house at one time.

Fink is optimistic that the legal issues holding up any potential sale may be resolved by the end of the year.