All concerns regarding abandoned property should be directed to Citizen Services at (631) 957-TOWN (8696). The Town will schedule an inspection of the property in question. The Town will make every effort to ensure that the property is secure and safe for the public.
All costs associated with securing the property will be at the property owner’s expense. If necessary, the Town will send a cleanup or violation correction notice to the property owner. The property owner has at least five days to respond. If the clean up notice is not responded to in a timely manner, The Town will schedule a cleanup and bill the property owner for the associated costs. If not paid promptly, charges (including late penalties) will appear on the property owner’s next tax bill.
If the house is in need of board up and/or demolition or other measure that actually requires a handling of the structure, the process is more complex. For those violations, a Town Board resolution is passed and a legal notice sent to the property owner. The property owner has 30 days to comply with requirements of the notice. If compliance is not made in this period the Town can take appropriate (i.e. board up or demolition) action against the property in violation. This process can take several months while utilites are contacted for service turnoffs and markouts for undergound utility lines, pipes etc. are prepared. In some cases, depending on the legal and safety issues associated with the particular situation, interim measures may be initiated. This requires definition and approval by the Town Board and Town Attorney. Escalation will occur on a case-by-case basis.