A home at 107 Lake Drive owned by longtime Liverpool resident Estelle Linehan was inspected on Friday, Oct. 31, by village Codes Enforcement Officer Bill Reagan who found the house uninhabitable.
“I’ve been receiving complaints about the condition of the property at 107 Lake Drive,” Reagan said Friday. “The property has had property-maintenance violations for some time, and I’ve been trying to help them for two years to no avail.”
A search warrant signed on Oct. 30 by Village Justice Anthony LaValle was executed the following morning at Linehan’s home.
Reagan was joined at the scene by Village Engineer Greg Sgromo, Police Chief Don Morris and Officer Sean Pierce. “It was really a routine situation,” Morris said. “We were on hand just to make sure everything remained peaceable. The home owner was very cooperative.”
Reagan and Sgromo expressed concern about the structural stability of the 835-square-foot house, which was built in 1910. Chief Morris noticed that holes in the roof resulted in significant interior water damage.
“As we found it Friday, the house is uninhabitable,” Reagan said. “It’s in terrible condition, so bad that it’s endangering the neighbors. We can’t let it get worse.”
The yard, which is overrun with bushes, needs a complete clean-up, he added. Tattered pieces of plastic cover many of the home’s windows.
“The building has not been condemned, yet,” Reagan said. “The natural gas has been shut off by National Grid due to hazards, and we have contacted adult protective services for assistance [for the homeowner].”
Condemnation includes a resolution of public need, an offer to purchase, and, if a negotiated purchase is not possible, then a condemnation suit. The government may take the property at the time of the lawsuit if it deposits money with the court in the amount of the government’s appraisal.
For now, Reagan said Linehan remains in residence at 107 Lake Drive while he awaits an official determination by Village Engineer Sgromo. The case is being heard in Liverpool Village Court where a hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 18, before Judge LaValle.
The property at 107 Lake Drive was last sold in May 1988, when it was purchased for $45,000. The single-family home has one bedroom and one bathroom and a detached garage.
