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Highlands Today

Trespassing A Problem At Nan-Ces-O-Wee

Jesse Osbourne/Highlands Today

The inside of the old Nan-Ces-O-Wee Hotel in downtown Sebring could be seen from a broken out window Wednesday morning.

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By MANDY SHEETS | Highlands Today

Published: September 27, 2007

SEBRING — Although entering the building is a misdemeanor offense, the condemned Nan-Ces-O-Wee Hotel has become a hotbed for activity lately.

Law enforcement officers said nearly every morning they find the window above the fire escape in the rear of the building busted in where trespassers have made an entrance.

"Code enforcement keeps boarding it up, and the boards are routinely being torn down by people who gain access," said Sebring Police Cmdr. Steve Carr.

Carr said most of the trespassers are likely homeless people looking for a place to sleep, but some also appear to be teenagers.

Highlands County Sheriff's Office Deputy Manuel Gonzalez, resource officer at Sebring High School, said rumors have been circulating about high school students exploring the hotel, but he has no evidence to prove anyone who entered is a high schooler.

"It's a dangerous situation for anyone to go into a condemned building," Gonzalez said. "We are working closely with the police department to pass along any information we hear."

Carr said anyone found in the building will go to jail and be charged with trespassing, a first-degree misdemeanor.

"We want to put an end to this problem as quickly as possible," Carr said.

Sebring Code Enforcement Officer Joe Romanik said plywood used to board up the window has been removed, possibly through use of a crowbar.

"We can tell when people have been in the building because the window is busted in and things inside have been moved around," Romanik said.

Police and code enforcement officers walked through the building Wednesday morning to make sure no one was inside before having the entrance sealed again.

Carr said, after walking through the building, he found no drug paraphernalia or weapons on the premises. No alcohol was found, but liquids that were likely used as mixers were there, he said.

"The roof is falling in and it's not structurally sound, so it's very dangerous for people to be walking around in there," Carr said.

The 1920s hotel was most recently used for short- and long-term rentals. A real estate investor in Miami recently expressed interest in purchasing the property and renovating it for affordable housing, likely apartments or condominiums, but has not yet entered a contract.

The building was condemned for occupancy after Hurricane Jeanne in 2004.

"We are worried about people's safety," Romanik said. "There is broken glass on the floor, and it's an old, rickety building."

Carr said many years ago, the police department dealt with a similar trespassing problem in Harder Hall, before security was stationed at the site. Teenagers would break in to explore and take pictures.
"This seems to be turning into the next Harder Hall," Carr said.

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