Sheridan to take another property to court
Submitted Photos Pictured is the state of a property located at 11021 Farmingdale Road in the town of Sheridan. After several violations dating back many years, the Town is pursuing action in the Chautauqua County Supreme Court.
Submitted Photos Pictured is the state of a property located at 11021 Farmingdale Road in the town of Sheridan. After several violations dating back many years, the Town is pursuing action in the Chautauqua County Supreme Court.
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SHERIDAN -- The Town of Sheridan has already taken one property to the Chautauqua County Supreme Court, as the Pawn Starz site on Route 20 has remained a mess for several years. Now, the Town is set to take the same course of action against another property, a residence on Farmingdale Road.
After multiple code violations have gone unaddressed for years on end, the Town Board plans to take Robert Szukala to the County Supreme Court. Attorney Joe Calimeri took legal action against the Pawn Starz property on behalf of the Town, and will do the same with the property located at 11021 Farmingdale Road.
The property has been issued violations and orders to remedy several issues, including the large accumulation of debris and junk; the presence of 12 unlicensed or inoperative vehicles on the property; stripped and dismantled vehicles; and the presence of an electric trailer on the property without a permit from the Town of Sheridan.
According to the Town Board, the home located on the property has been condemned and the owners have passed away. The property was assumed by Robert Szukala, and there are reports of the property being junk-ridden dating back more than a decade. In August of 2016, The OBSERVER reported, "Sheridan Code Enforcement Officer James Crowell previously said he has cited Szukala in the past, but Szukala simply pays the fine and doesn't bother with cleanliness. It remains to be seen if the vicious cycle can be broken this time around."
A decade later, the property is still a mess, so the Town Board now plans to take action with Calimeri at the Chautauqua County Supreme Court to put an end to the "vicious cycle" of civil disobedience once and for all.
Regarding the other notable mess in the town, the former Pawn Starz shop on Route 20 at the intersection with South Roberts Road, there has yet to be any movement since the County Land Bank took over part of the property last year.
There are two parcels of land that make up the site – one now owned by the Land Bank, and the other privately owned. Because it does not own both parcels, the Land Bank cannot proceed with the clean-up. Attorneys advised the County that both parcels should be required before any action is taken.
The issues with the site go further than just the piles of charred debris. It is believed that the soil is contaminated as the site was once a gas station that burned down in the 1970s. The other major issue in the way of progress is the substantial amount of liens on the property, estimated between $50,000 to $60,000. The County and the Town are both not prepared to take on the liens to proceed with the clean-up. The property is not eligible for foreclosure until next year.
Also of note, residents continue to experience flooding of properties along Route 5 and Route 20. Residents have been in contact with representatives from the offices of Congressman Nick Langworthy, Assemblyman Andrew Molitor, and State Senator George Borrello on the matter. The Department of Transportation and the Army Corps of Engineers have also been contacted.
The next meeting of the Sheridan Town Board will be on Wednesday, Sept. 9 at 7 p.m.