Farmingville, NY – On February 13, Supervisor Ed Romaine (left) and Councilman Kevin LaValle (right) were at 30 Pleasant Avenue in Centereach for the demolition of an abandoned and dilapidated “zombie house.” The house, which was vacant for nearly 10 years, had been vandalized and at times a home to squatters. It was a source of numerous resident complaints and Town building code violations. The house was demolished by the Town’s Recycling and Sustainable Materials Management Department in accordance with Chapter 73 of the Town Code which 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 Romaine said, “This house was a terrible blight in a neighborhood where people take pride in their homes. I am committed to do whatever we can to demolish houses that impact negatively on the quality of life and property values in the community.”
Councilman LaValle said, “The nearby homeowners lived far too long with this eyesore and all the problems it brought to the neighborhood. This is already the third ‘zombie house’ that we’ve demolished in my Council District during 2018 and I will continue to do everything I can to clean up properties like this and improve the quality of life for our residents.”
Division of Public Information - Office of the Supervisor
One Independence Hill
Farmingville, NY 11738
Phone: 631-451-6595