Farmingville, NY – On January 15, Supervisor Ed Romaine (left) and Councilman Dan Panico (right) attended the demolition of a burned-out “zombie house” located at 27 Cypress Lane in Shirley. The house was vacant and abandoned for many years before being destroyed by a fire on December 15, 2018. It had been home to squatters at various times, generating complaints from residents in the neighborhood. The house was demolished in accordance with Chapter 73 of the Town Code that provides a “fast track” to rid neighborhoods of unsafe structures. The cost of demolition and debris removal is the responsibility of the property owner, and the Town places a lien on the property that is then placed on the tax bill. The County reimburses the Town and then they collect the money from the property owner.
Supervisor Ed Romaine said, “I commend Councilman Panico and our Law Department for acting swiftly to remove this dangerous eyesore from the neighborhood. We are determined to clean up neighborhoods across the Town and I warn negligent property owners that we will not tolerate dilapidated and unsafe houses anywhere in the Town of Brookhaven.”
Councilman Panico said, “Thankfully no one was injured in this blaze. I am grateful to the firefighters who battled this fire in the early hours of the morning and to our Waste Management teams that skillfully demolish and clean up these properties”
Division of Public Information * Office of the Supervisor
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