William Saroyan’s Last Fresno Home Up For Auction

A former home of Fresno icon William Saroyan may soon be up for auction.  After years of what neighbors call poor upkeep and a revolving door of tenants, the home on West Griffith way in Central Fresno is now in foreclosure.  It’s where the author lived until his passing and in 1989 the city of Fresno dedicated it as an historical landmark.

According to the auction notice which Ksee24 dug up at the Fresno County Recorders Office, Saroyan’s very last home will be sold to the highest bidder in less than four weeks.  On top of the foreclosure, the home – inside and out – is in poor condition. Neighbors say they’re angry that anyone would disrespect a place and person of such significance.

William Saroyan’s former neighbor Ernesto Baca says, "This is terrible the way it looks here."

Boarded up windows and broken doors; the former home of Fresno icon and world famous author William Saroyan is left in shambles and on the auction block.

Baca says, " It’s very sad. It’s a  historical landmark."

The auction notice hangs seemingly untouched on the door.  A trustee sale now is now in the works as the bank attempts to collect more than $ 170,000 dollars from owners.  For Baca, it’s appalling.  He grew up next door to Saroyan  and still lives in the same home to this day.

"He would be rolling in his grave right now," says Baca.

Baca still has many memories, like the autographed books Saroyan gave him as a kid.  Just as dear, are the times the two shared at Saroyan’s home, where the later author wrote a dozen books and spent the last 17 years of his life.

"He’s a big part of my life and I was privileged to be able to know him."
   
Documents show Saroyan’s home was purchased by the current owners in 2006. Baca says since then the place has slowly deteriorated.  He says a new tenant moved in every year and now squatters are taking over.  For a place on the city of Fresno’s historic registry, there was hope better care would be taken.

City of Fresno spokesperson Mark Standriff says, "Anything as far as the regular upkeep of the home or the lawn or the landscaping is entirely up to the private owner."

Standriff says historical landmark status only protects the home from being demolished or undergoing major renovation.

The neighbors who remember Saroyan say it’s a shame.  Violet Rhodes remembers seeing Saroyan stroll the streets on his bike.  She says she was proud to live so close to such a prominent figure and hopes future owners will preserve the historic home properly.

Rhodes says, "I hope that they take good care of it and that we see it looking better all the time instead of worse all the time."

The company handling the foreclosure says the home will be up for auction at 10 am on May 5th at the Fresno County Courthouse.