Lack Of Maintenance Results In Loss Of Home For Owner & Headaches For Upstate NY Town

One homeowner's inability to maintain her home resulted in both her loss of ownership, an unsafe health condition for the community, and a potentially significant bill for demolition for the village board, as reported in a recent story appearing in the Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin.

The home, in the upstate New York Village of Owego, ended up being sold to the local municipality in a tax foreclosure sale when the prior owner failed to pay real estate taxes. However, the problems dated back prior to the foreclosure when the village worked with the Tioga County Health Department to evict the owner, after her inability to maintain the home resulted in unsanitary living conditions that affected the entire neighborhood. According to the story:

• "Shortly after the eviction, the village contracted three companies to clean up trash inside and outside the two-story home. Exterminators removed at least 280 rats... [T]he garbage was about 3 feet high in every room and was full of feces... [C]leanup costs totaling $7,222.89 were attached to [the owner's] property taxes... [F]urther fees included routine outdoor maintenance, according to village bills."

Reportedly, the owner sufferred from a medical condition that restricted her from standing on her feet for long periods of time. Neighbors and a local church had cleaned the property on several occasions, but the owner simply couldn't maintain the home. According to the story, the owner's husband told her not to pay the taxes because the property would be condemned anyway.

The village board is now considering when to demolish the home, the average cost of which reportedly ranges from $20,000 to $25,000. For more, see Owego takes over house that had rats.