Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Bayside house still in bad shape

From the Queens Chronicle:

It was the house that time and Eric Miller forgot.

Care of the now vacant one-family property at 215-43 40th Ave. became Miller’s responsibility when its sole occupant, his mother Louise, lost all interest in the routine maintenance of the home she had purchased more than four decades earlier. While the reclusive Mrs. Miller mourned the loss of her husband Eugene, a firefighter killed while on duty in 1968, her son occasionally mowed the front lawn, littered with sand and plywood, but failed to prune the trees crowding the lot’s southwestern corner.

Now that the octogenarian resident has been relocated to a nursing facility, the building stands empty and decrepit. All doors and windows on the ground floor were cemented over in January, when the Department of Buildings found the structure open and unguarded. Shattered windows on the second floor have admitted raccoons, squirrels and birds as new occupants. Since the Queens Chronicle reported on its neglect in late March, the building’s status has remained unchanged, except for the spray painting of a bright green symbol on its concrete façade to indicate its vacancy in case of a fire.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Can anyone say Art. 81 guardian is needed?

Anonymous said...

Are the taxes being paid on this? If they are, the owner should be attempting to hold onto some of the value of the structure. If not, then the city should foreclose. I am sure that the price of the lot would cover the lien.

Snake Plissskin said...

Funny, 15 seconds late on a parking meter and a ticket.

15 years late on cleaning out the gutters and, well, there is nothing we can do about it (except drive out the community which is our point, anyways, right?)

To let a community be abused like this (exhibit #2,353), in the self styled greatest city in the world is simply bullshit.

Anonymous said...

This is happening all over America. Old folks-- (who never used to live as long as they do!)-- are staying in their homes way too long and until it's too late. Eventually, someone will get the property and make something out of it.

Joe for Council said...

Taxes paid till July of 2011.

I guess there is'nt a money issue. Otherwise they wouldnt be making $5k payments all in one lump sum.

Anonymous said...

"Eventually, someone will get the property and make something out of it."

yes and that somthing is likely to be "Fedders Crap" IF you're lucky, if not, then god knows what it will become. Nice conundrum.

Anonymous said...

When you fail to plan you plan to fail. I wonder how many times someone told the old lady to get her affairs and in order and how many times she said no, that her son would take care of things, etc. PUT YOUR HOMES IN ASSET PROTECTION TRUSTS NOW AND APPOINT A COMPETENT PERSON AS TRSUTEE!

Spend a dime now and save a fortune later.

Big Hairy Balls said...

It sounds like a home that could be seized under adverse possession.

Anonymous said...

It sounds like a home that could be seized under adverse possession.

How so Counselor?

Anonymous said...

There's a similar rundown house on 162 Street and 73rd Avenue. Some lunatic who collects cans for a living dwells inside it.

Anonymous said...

How's it Huanging?

Anonymous said...

How's it Huanging?