Just days after the North Bend City Council decided to destroy a dangerous house on a slipping slope, a Washington couple has stepped forward to save it.

At least that’s their hope.

On Monday, Pat and Doug Johnson, of Bothell Wa., wrote Mayor Rick Wetherell and City Administrator Jan Willis a letter. They are proposing to remove the 2505 Sheridan Ave. house, located above U.S. Highway 101 and Sapphires Mongolian Grill, relocate it to an undisclosed area of the county, and then move in.

Doing so, they say, will save money for everyone involved — from the city, which would have to pay an estimated $20,000 to remove the house — as well as owner Yesi Guirado. That way the city no longer would need to put a lien against the property for the cost of demolition.

“The way we look at is it’s really a win-win-win,” Pat Johnson, 49, said. “And the house will be removed, which is ultimately what the city, what the community really wants.”

Willis demurred from commenting Tuesday.

The mayor said he isn’t completely opposed to the idea, but the Johnsons would have to overcome two obstacles to make the removal a viable possibility. The first would be to assume the liability that would be attached to whomever uproots the house, as the slope could still continue come down after its removal. The other is the weather.

“The rains are coming and if we delay removing ourselves, then we may get into a problem with weather,” Wetherell said. “I have nothing against them purchasing that home, but it’s problematic, as are most things in the world.

“If those could be handled, I think the city would consider it.”

He added that he learned of the Johnsons’ proposal about three days ago and has not taken any action.

According to a request for quotation sent to contractors from the city of North Bend, all work must begin by Oct. 27 and be completed by Halloween day.

Doug Johnson, 54, said he might need between 2 1/2 to three months — long after rainy season starts — to gain the permits and do the physical work necessary to pluck the house from the hill. He has at least one company in mind to do the removal but has not taken any bids.

Pat Johnson said she and her husband have been in contact with Guirado since fall 2007 and took a tour of the house that December. On Friday, Guirado called the Johnsons notifying them of the council’s decision. He suggested that if they still were interested, maybe they could work something out with the city, she said.

The Johnsons have not offered Guirado money. They also are fully aware of the controversy surrounding the property, and believe most costs would be limited to its removal and purchasing a lot in the county.

In a phone message, Guirado said moving the house could be a positive solution.

“Either way, they are going to take the house down. So, if he can salvage it, I think it’s a good idea,” Guirado said.

Pat Johnson said they heard back from Willis on Monday, but didn’t get an overly warm reception. This may come as no surprise since the city is facing a time crunch to level the house before the rainy season. That’s after the city has had to endure a two-year-long contentious fight over the house.

“Our feeling is that they aren’t going to listen to any other alternatives, that they just want to get this done quickly,” Pat Johnson said.

The house became the center of debate in early 2007 when the council learned that the land underneath it had been slipping on and off since 2005. On Oct. 14, the council ordered city staff to make the house safe via demolition. The order followed an unending stream of testimony from geotechnical engineers, lawyers, the owner of Sapphires and other parties, as well as a number of extensions for the property owner to make the house safe by repair or destruction. Guirado failed to finish repairs or level the house by the deadline.

The couple came up with the idea of moving a house while talking to a green Realtor in their area, Pat Johnson explained, as her husband has chemical sensitivity issues exacerbated by new building materials. So, they looked for an older home and soon learned of Guirado’s house.

Other legal concerns still surround the property. Guirado and Sapphires owner Eugene Hill are suing each other. A court date is set April 1. And Guirado feels removing the house is a bad idea.

According to a letter from Guirado’s lawyer, Jerry Lesan, the owner views the removal as unnecessary and thinks it could worsen conditions that may lead to future slides. By removing it, he stated, Guirado feels the city essentially assumes liability for any future land movement that might result, because the soil will become more vulnerable to rainfall.

Neighbors David and Cheryl Barnes, who live in a home adjacent to the dangerous house, also are worried that leveling it could put their own home at risk.

The city has received letters from the Barnes’ attorneys and Steven K. Donovan, the regional manager of SHN Consulting Engineers & Geologists Inc., stating that they believe demolition could increase slope failure.

“While I trust that this action is proposed with the best intention, we have concerns that any activity that is not engineered may result in further instability of the immediate area, including the Barnes property,” wrote William H. Sherlock of Hutchinson Cox, Coons, DuPreist, Orr & Sherlock P.C. of Eugene.

Doug Johnson said he doesn’t know if he and his wife will be able to prevail with all these issues at hand, but they still want the house.

“It just seems so sad. People are always talking about a lack of affordable housing. And here we go, (they’re) trying to demolish this house,” Doug Johnson said.