By Charles Layton
Neptune Township is taking the owners of two more Ocean Grove homes to court for allowing their properties to fall into disrepair.
We’ve written about these two properties before — 35 Embury Avenue and 96 Lawrence Avenue. Both have been unoccupied and untended for some time.
35 Embury Avenue, rear view. Photos by Charles Layton
On March 17 the Department of Code Enforcement issued a notice of violation to the owner of the 35 Embury property, Beatrice Albano of Brooklyn, New York, citing rotted wood, missing gutter pipes, lack of paint and other problems. When the owner failed to correct the problems, Code Enforcement, on May 2, issued a summons for Albano to appear in Municipal Court next Thursday, May 19.
96 Lawrence Avenue
The second house is at 96 Lawrence Avenue. It had been cited for maintenance violations in August of 2009, including a roof in need of repair, broken or missing windows, missing siding and problems with gutters, wood trim and trash and debris. No further formal action was taken by the Township, however, until May 6 of this year, when Code ordered the owner, Sandra Solly of Farmingdale, NJ, to appear in court. Solly’s hearing is scheduled for May 26.
Another derelict property, at 78 South Main Street, may soon reach court as well. Code has ordered the owner, Eve Annenberg of New York City, to make repairs by May 27 or face court action.
As these three houses come into play, they join the list of other Ocean Grove properties whose owners are under legal pressure from the Township. These include 23 Seaview Avenue, 80 Main Avenue, 24 McClintock Street and 14 Spray Avenue.
The house at 91 Cookman Avenue had been on that list as well, but the Township enjoyed a rare victory last weekend when local developer Jack Green agreed to purchase that property and rehab it.
It is not just buildings in obvious deplorable condition that should get our attention; the publicly identified addresses that Code Inspector’s have cited were likely not “that bad” some years back. However, over time, neglect takes it toll. Neighbors eventually notice and realize something is amiss which if unaddressed will affect their own property’s value.
At the last OGHOA Sat. morning meeting a homeowner mentioned such an address, he knew the neighbor had died and nobody was seen there for years. The shades were all drawn down, vegetation overgrown, paint peeling off the window frames, front porch boards in bad shape BUT the siding and the roof appeared fine. He was concerned. It turns out that the owners in Virginia have not corrected maintenance violations cited by Neptune’s Code Dept. in ’09 and there is a lien for unpaid taxes.
Timely action can keep this 150 yr. old KEY structure from becoming a community eyesore.
Responding to “Relax” —
When Bill Doolittle, the Township’s head of Code & Enforcement, appeared before the Home Owners Assn. recently, he urged Ocean Grovers to report to his department any buildings that might have code violations. He stressed that his department lacked the resources to go out and find all these problem buildings, and that citizens should help by providing tips. If I’m not mistaken, he also suggested that photographs would help. And he said if anyone reporting a problem wanted their identity protected, the Township would respect that.
I personally know of a couple of recent cases — 35 Embury and 14 Spray — that came to the Township’s attention through reports from neighbors. In the case of 14 Spray, the neighbors took photos. The problems with both those houses are now about to be addressed. And we have had other derelict buildings that the Township had not made an issue of until neighbors complained. One such was the Sampler Inn, which turned out to be such a notorious fire trap that the Township, as a public safety measure, ended up having it demolished.
It’s our responsibility as citizens to find and report these problems, just as it’s our responsibility to watch for and report criminal activity.
There is a horrible property on Spray Avenue. It is a risk to nearby neighbors as it is infested with cats, rodents, birds, etc.
I agree that the town should address homes in disrepair. We do not need, however, citizens running around town with cameras.
It’s time for those of us who “walk” OG to report what we see..so that these issues can be addressed. I noticed a home whose condition was “appalling” on a recent walk on the South/ West end of town..I intend to go back and make a note of the address and take a few pictures. Why don’t all of us do that and end more “derelict” situations that we are quietly enduring and watching destroy both our neighborhood and our property values?? It’s time all violations are addressed. Those of us who obey set guidelines shouldn’t have to sit back and watch while others blatantly violate them.
Ken — I’m not sure some of these properties aren’t already in a state of demo by neglect. Hope not, though.
I do believe 78 South Main at one time had the go-ahead to demo, but then stepped back from it when the condo development by the Old High School fell through. An application to HPC was made for repair, but obviously nothing came of it. Good to see something happening with that house. That whole strip, with a couple of exceptions, needs a good rehabbing.
It is laudable Neptune Township is taking these actions before these properties fall into “demolition by neglect” status.