433 High St. (Buttonwood Alley) Summer, 2014 Owners: Ragesh & Amita Patel of Pottstown. Purchase price: $23,000, 1998 (nearly 2 decades of neglect)
Facebook Feb. 26, 2015 Larry Hespeth: “THE REAR OF THIS BUILDING IS ROTTING AND FALLING TO THE GROUND.
< THE BACK IS PRIMARILY COVERED WITH OLD PLYWOOD>. THE ELECTRICAL SERVICE IS ALSO COMING TO THE GROUND. I WILL POST PICS WEEKLY. CAN’T GET ANY HELP FROM THE BOROUGH. THERE SHOULD BE SOME TYPE OF EMERGENCY THIS BUILDING FALLS UNDER!”
Pennsylvania Act 90, 2010 Neighborhood Blight and Revitalization – Private Assessment Attachment:
What does it do?
Allows municipalities to collect costs related to code violations by filing judgments against property owners, not just liens against the properties.
Type of property/property characteristics?
Property for which its owner has been found guilty of code violations and violations have not been corrected after six months. (Also see statutes noted below with no waiting period.)
Where does it apply? What jurisdictions?
Everywhere in Pennsylvania.
Who initiates? Who can make this happen?
Municipal code officials and solicitors.
How do you do it?
Codes officer cites a property for substantial violations; no remediation is done within six months; municipality files a court action against the owner.
February 26, 2015:
March 24, 2015 Larry Hespeth: CAUGHT THE GUY DUMPING BEHIND MY HOUSE TODAY. THIRTY MINUTES AFTER TALKING WITH BILL SHARON IN THE ALLEY. WALT IS HIS NAME AND HE’S THE SUPER OF THE PITIFUL APTS ON THE 400 BLK OF HIGH. I WENT AROUND AND PRETENDED I NEEDED AN APT. AND SOMEONE GAVE ME HIS NAME AND CELL NUMBER. I CALLED THE COPS. THEY SHOWED UP, AND TWO MINUTES LATER THE DUMPER ALSO SHOWED UP. GLAD TO SAY THE OFFICER TOLD HIM TO REMOVE IT OR ELSE! IT’S GONE BUT THE BUILDING REMAINS. MR PATEL HAD HIS HEARING MOVED AGAIN TO MAY 4TH. SEE YOU SOON!
Illegal Dumping @ 433 High St. Investor Alisa Levin/Handyman “Walt:
APRIL 4, 2015 Larry Hespeth: WELL I’VE BEEN COMPLAINING ABOUT THIS BUILDING FOR WELL OVER A YEAR. TODAY PART OF IT FELL TO THE GROUND. THE PART WITH THE ELECTRICAL CONNECTED TO IT! AND GUESS WHO SHOWS UP? SOMEONE THAT I’VE COMPLAINED TO. WHAT TOOK SO LONG?
Ragesh Patel has “connections” with people in official, taxpayer supported positions in Pottstown. Showing favoritism would be unthinkable – right?
Placing the burden of the costs of Mr. Patel’s, nearly TWO DECADES of negligence on the taxpayers of Pottstown is unconscionable. Loss of property values and crime brought about by the blight are already being born by the neighbors of the Patels’ Zombie Property.
The borough has known of the conditions for many many years, they’ve known about Act 90 for the past 5 years. Why isn’t council authorizing the solicitor and working with the D.A. to protect Pottstown’s taxpayers and residents by using the Act 90 laws to bring owners of Zombie properties into compliance and assess or sue the owners for the cost of securing or tearing them down? There are no viable excuses, and the abuse of the system is crime against taxpayers.
Local, County and the D.A.’s offices all have the power to stop this now.
PA ACT 90 “QUICK GUIDE” <<clik
Category: BLIGHT PREVENTION – Property Code Enforcement |
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Law: Crime of Municipal Housing Code Avoidance…….Who initiates? Who can make this happen?Code enforcement official and the Office of the District Attorney “Housing code avoidance” is a new tool that makes repeated code violations a misdemeanor offense punishable by incarceration without having to first impose fines, or imprisonment may be in addition to fines.Under this law, a 2nd degree misdemeanor may be charged where a code violation remains after four (4) summary convictions for the same violation at the same property. A 1st degree misdemeanor may be charged for five (5) or more summary convictions. |
PARID: 160014948003
PATEL RAGESH R & AMITA R 433 HIGH ST
TaxMapID 16006 061
Parid 16-00-14948-00-3
Land Use Code 4100
Land Use Description C – RETAIL, OFFICE, APTS. – MULTI-USE
Property Location 433 HIGH ST
Lot Size 4200 SF
Zoning D
Front Feet 30
Municipality POTTSTOWN
School District POTTSTOWN
Utilities ALL PUBLIC//
Owner
Name(s) PATEL RAGESH R & AMITA R
Name(s)
Mailing Address 32 ROSEDALE DR
Care Of
Mailing Address
Mailing Address POTTSTOWN PA 19464
Current Assessment
Appraised Value Assessed Value Restrict Code
78,000 78,000
Estimated Taxes
County 246
Municipality 804
School District 3,062
Total 4,112
Tax Lien Yes
Last Sale
Sale Date 16-NOV-98
Sale Price $23,000
Tax Stamps 230
Deed Book and Page 5249-02254
Grantor
Grantee PATEL RAGESH R & AMITA R
Date Recorded 24-NOV-98
433 High St. in better days. The entire block is frightening.
