Charred buildings on Polish Hill's Brereton Street should've been razed last year, but Pittsburgh officials deferred to the timetables of a favored developer and an out-of-town landlord, and then the matter fell through the cracks.

A fire there six months ago left 12 people homeless, and saddled the neighborhood with two eyesores on the street that's anchoring its revival.

City inspectors condemned the buildings Nov. 9, and ordered the owners to hire demolition contractors by Nov. 14. But when that didn't happen, they failed to file housing code cases against the owners -- until yesterday, after the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette asked about the delay.

"Sure, we always would like to see burned-out buildings taken down in a timely manner," Mayor Luke Ravenstahl said. "Don't know why that hasn't been the case here."

Acting Chief of Building Inspection Dan Cipriani said short staffing and reliance on paper files led to the slip-up. Yesterday's housing code case filings should lead to a hearing before District Judge Eugene Zielmanski that could bring $1,000-a-day fines against the owners.

Duane Darkins Jr., son of the late city councilman of the same name, has been charged with setting the Nov. 7 fire that started at 3109 Brereton St.

That building is owned by Wylie Holdings, a developer that has done award-winning renovations in nearby Lawrenceville, received city Urban Redevelopment Authority subsidies and sparred with building inspectors. Its condemned neighbor is owned by a McCandless corporation controlled by Richard A. Bralich.

Neither owner could be reached for comment.

The hulks are "a burden on the whole neighborhood," said Terry Doloughty, president of the Polish Hill Civic Association. "Nobody wants to move across the street from a burned-out building."

Wylie's building was boarded up only in front, and Mr. Doloughty said that open windows in back have given vagrants and copper thieves a way in.

"Debris falls off the building," said a neighbor who asked not to be identified. When residents call the mayor's 311 help line to complain, someone shovels the debris onto the cluttered back porch.

In November, building inspection staff got signed cards showing that the owners had received the condemnation notices.

When an owner is deemed to be able to pay for demolition, the city typically gives that owner a few weeks to get it done before filing a housing code case.

In this case, Wylie asked for more time, saying it was wrangling with its insurance company, according to Mr. Cipriani and Mr. Doloughty. Mr. Bralich told building inspectors in January that he was getting bids from demolition firms, and the matter was then forgotten.

"Because of our paper file system, [the matter] persists," said Mr. Cipriani. He said the bureau will soon try out automation systems that should help it keep track of such situations.

"These sorts of delays can cause unnecessary damage to business districts and neighborhoods," said Councilman Patrick Dowd, who represents Polish Hill.

While Wylie was failing to demolish the building, it was using the condemnation to lower its taxes. On March 26, the firm filed an assessment appeal with the Allegheny County Board of Property Assessment Appeals and Review, noting that the property was "condemned -- fire damaged." The county reduced the property's assessment from $37,100 to $20,300, shaving nearly $500 from its total city, school and county property tax bill.

Wylie business manager Joe Edelstein has been a vocal supporter of Mr. Ravenstahl. Before and during Mr. Ravenstahl's administration, Wylie Holdings and its sister company, 3600 Penn Associates, have won URA aid for renovation of building facades.

The firms have gotten $143,900 in loans that can convert to grants since 2006, and have been approved for $86,350 that has yet to be paid.

In some cases, the URA has paid the firms for improving buildings while city inspectors were citing them for unpermitted work. Last month, District Judge Ron Costa ruled on two such buildings on Butler Street, fining Wylie $1,000 and ordering it to tear down illegal decks, and ordering an inspection of an unpermitted deck built by 3600 Penn Associates.

The URA has found "no indication that this is an ongoing problem," wrote its public information officer, Megan Stearman, in an e-mail response to questions. "Wylie Holdings has honored the terms of all the contracts they've held with us and their projects have improved the areas where these properties are located."

"We ought to think about whether we should be supporting, financially, landlords with whom the city -- whether it's police or [building inspection] -- has issues," said Mr. Dowd, who has no direct role in the URA.

Mr. Ravenstahl appoints members to the URA board, which is chaired by his chief of staff, Yarone Zober.

"Subsidies are something that shouldn't be given if other issues are outstanding, and I know the URA's aware of it and is attempting to find a way to deal with it," the mayor said.