Luxury hotel on the banks of the beautiful Wesley Lake. Blogfinger photo. June 2014
By Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger
The OGHOA has scheduled a walking tour through town next week to visit six derelict buildings. The idea evidently is to embarrass the derelict homeowners. How this tour will accomplish that goal is unclear, given the lack of sensitivity exhibited by these owners in the past. However, the message that the tour does send is that the Home Groaners Association is desperate and impotent in dealing with this problem in the Grove.
On their website, regarding their Derelict Houses Committee, they say, “The tools now available to Neptune Township to deal with derelict houses and buildings are cumbersome, time-consuming and largely ineffective.” So they go on and describe how they are going to fix the problem: ..”to seek new and more effective ways of dealing with derelict structures.”
OK, so what have they accomplished so far at the HOA? In a letter to the Coaster, Ken Buckley, HOA Trustee, admits that the efforts of the OGHOA so far have been “to no avail.” He blames “out of state owners,” banks that won’t take responsibility, and powerless authorities in Neptune. He says court penalties are ineffective.
According to Mr. Buckley, this tour of derelict houses is being done to “shame those responsible into action.” Is he trying to shame the homeowners, the banks, the courts, or the officials in Neptune Township?
You know, back in the 1990’s, when leaders of the HOA were innovative, and when that group had 1,000 members, those guys pulled out all the stops to halt the deterioration of Ocean Grove.
Karen Schmelzkopf, a professor at Monmouth U. wrote a paper in The Journal of Historical Geography (2002) in which she gives credit to the OGHOA for their courageous, relentless and aggressive efforts in the ’90’s to turn around the downward spiral happening then in Ocean Grove.
In that paper she says, “The HOA is what Speer and Hughey call an `empowered’ community association: it can reward or punish community targets, control what gets talked about in public debate, shape how residents and public officials think about the community, and generally can get things accomplished. Within 15 years the HOA was instrumental in transforming Ocean Grove from a stuffy decaying town with a population of mostly lower income, elderly people and a significant number of very visible deinstitutionalized residents to a rather trendy town with its share of coffee bars, fashionable shops, bed and breakfasts, and art galleries.”
“By the end of the 1990s, the HOA had fulfilled many of their goals: property values had risen, the number of deinstitutionalized had been dramatically decreased, crime had dropped, and tourists were flocking back to Ocean Grove.”
In addition, another benefit then was that decrepit historic houses began to be purchased by caring buyers who sank a lot of money into the situation and brought back deteriorating homes.
Now, we have a situation where homeowners are allowed, and correctly so, to have ugly houses or deteriorating houses if that is their wish, unless of course they run afoul of Code Enforcement. They can even change a historic house and turn it into something else (as occurred on Stockton Ave. recently,) or even build a Greek temple as long as the HPC agrees and Zeus doesn’t have a fit. We can’t force people to make their houses or hotels into Williamsburg icons of history. We have to respect owners’ rights. But the goal should be that homeowners want to keep their houses maintained and historically relevant.
To Mr. Buckley’s credit, he recently spoke up to the Neptune Township Committee, a voice in the wilderness, asking them for creative solutions to the problem. Here is a link:
And here is a link describing a recent clash between the Township Committee and the OGHOA regarding this issue:
But what the HOA must do is to find ways to deal with unsafe properties that threaten our citizens. Instead of marching around the Grove bemoaning the derelict houses, they should follow the example of the ’90’s and go march in Trenton and Neptune until our elected representatives help us make our town safe through stricter and more enforceable laws that deal with fire hazards and other safety issues. Homeowners ought not to have the right to own dangerous buildings that can harm nearby houses and people.
As for keeping our historic houses from decline, safety issues aside, the HOA should strive to figure out how to make our town more desirable for property buyers. That’s what they did in the ’90’s, and a boom developed in the Grove. How about fighting for tax credits for bringing back a historic home in OG? Such programs do exist in New Jersey. Ultimately, the free market is the answer. After all, existing laws haven’t worked so far in this situation.
Editor’s Note: the HOA walking tour is on Saturday, June 28, at noon. Meet at the Community Room, next to 42 Pilgrim Pathway. For more information, check the HOA website.
View from the Park View and Warrington Hotels looking towards Asbury Park. The wide angle lens helps minimize the muggers. New walks and retaining wall on the OG side (foreground ) go right past these two clunkers. Blogfinger photo June 2014. ©
BLOSSOM DEARIE with a suggested theme song for the derelict tour:
Simon. I depend on information sharing by OG citizen reporters, but no one sent us anything on the tour. Paul
Mr Blogfinger Do you know what took place with the tour of derelict buildings?THE Park View and the Warrington must have won the prize. What the residents have to live with, its not right someone has to do something. The meeting for the Warrington is July 2nd. at 7:30 in the Neptune borough building, Lets all be there its important to our community. Please if you can let everyone know.
The Park View and Warrington are next to each other, and huge. If one of them has a fire, the other will probably burn too, as will the huge condo complex next to that. And firemen have little or no street access. It would likely be the worst fire in the town’s history. With such a large fire, the whole town is at risk.
Does the issue of public safety ever supersede an individual owners protections? The Park View, an obvious fire hazard, next to another vacant behemoth isn’t a direct threat to the public or emergency response personnel? Are these structures regularly inspected for squatters? Are fire systems, if any, tested regularly? What about lead paint? Crumbling 100 + year old Asbestos? Oil tanks? Is there insurance in place? While the bankruptcy court protects the owners, who protects the rights of the community to live in a safe neighborhood?
We have some additional information. The Park View owner is protected by the Bankruptcy Court which has broad powers to shield the owner from outside demands such as those made by Neptune Township. Neptune has a lien on the property and collects some interest on that. Some have compared the Park View to the Sampler, but it took 15 years for the Twp. to get to the point where it could tear the Sampler down. It is a very difficult solution to hope for.
There is a new law that Gov Christie signed which may help the efforts of NJ towns to deal with derelict houses. I have no other information on that for now.
Neptune had an ordinance that 90 days of abandonment and the building had to be demolished, did they discard this ordinance?
Sure they will never follow through because revenue,revenue,revenue.
The judge that has allowed this building to sit should be put in jail. All in all this judge will give the owner a slap on the wrist. That’s pathetic.
Mike O: If you read the link in the article about the clash between the HOA and the Township Committee, you will find out that the certain Committeemen actually suggested that citizens reach out to the owners of derelict houses, but the idea was ridiculed and attacked by the OG Home Groaners Association. But the HOA is in no position to reject any new idea.
This is one avenue that could be tried that has not been tried yet. Why don’t you contact Drs. Orenstein? –one is a podiatrist and the other is an internist, and they are in the phone book.—–Paul
Can anyone name the 2 doctors who own 80 Main and where are their offices? Has anyone tried to reach out to them directly? Seems reasonable to me!
Bythesea: You are not the first to make this point on Blogfinger, but we never discover an answer that makes sense. A member of the Township Committee recently suggested that by letting a property decay, the house can be condemned and then permission given for demolition. Then the property can be sold or developed into a private home or condos.
The Sampler was demolished, but only after the Township just took over and paid to have it torn down. But that way the Township has to pay for the demo and risk a lawsuit later.
Serious question here. What is the rationale for the owners of derelict houses to continue fighting and prolonging a resolution and disposal of the derelict properties? Is this a form of real estate speculation: buy some land with a house, allow house to decay while — over 15 years — the property value goes up, sell more property for a gain?
If the owners are simply out of money to do anything, would it not be in the owners’ best interest to sell? How is allowing a house/hotel to decay into ruble a wealth maximizing move? I am seriously interested in what the motive is.
North-ender: The walking tour is about derelict houses. But I am allowing your comments as an exception because you frame it as possible topics to “expand the tour.”
Are you a homeowner? I assume you are, so let’s see if the HOA has anything to say about your concerns.
However, in general, ladies and gentlemen, please try to stay on topic. Thank you, The Management.
The walking tour is a good idea. Anything that brings attention to the problem is a positive thing. I hope that the Township officials, code enforcement and Camp Meeting leaders take the tour. I think the tour should be expanded to include derelict properties owned by the Camp Meeting.
1) The Historic Flared Open Space lots. These lots should be renamed Flared Closed Space lots. The lots have many fences and overgrown shrubs. There is even a row of trees on the first block of SeaView. The Flared lots are just as historically significant to Ocean Grove as the buildings. Maybe even more so since it is so unique.
2) Look at all of the cracked sidewalks and lack of sidewalks near Wesley Lake retaining wall.
3) Look at the many blocks without grass strips. Look at the difference with a block with grass strips and one without.
4) Go to Ocean Pathway and Ocean Ave. Look at the difference between the North and South Ocean Front. The North has overgrown shrubs and grasses. These should be cut down or better yet removed and replaced with grass. Then lower the dunes to the height of the benches. You can’t see the ocean North of Ocean Pathway except in front of a hotel (hmmmm). The tourists have nice views on the hotel porch but the residents don’t.
The Ocean Grove Camp meeting has to lead the way and take care of the infrastructure. If they don’t why will out-of-towners and banks.
Waterseller – The controversy about Neptune using eminent domain goes back to a time when the two political parties actually did win and lose elections back and forth; during one election campaign a claim was made that Neptune planned to use it to take over hundreds of properties in a rezoning. Although vigorously denied, and never proved, it is still brought up from time to time by one tireless individual at Township Committee Meetings.
Of the “ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION IN OPEN SESSION” on this Monday night’s 6:00 PM Township Committee Workshop is: “1. Discussion — Abandoned property ordinance.”
Previously, 3 options for a proposed ordinance were debated, it should be interesting to learn if eminent domain will be in whichever one is chosen. All interested parties should attend and listen.
Sorry about the doctor comment, that doesn’t matter! I was trying to make the point that it is not owned by some little old lady down on her luck, these guys are local investors who are taking advantage of the rest of us!
To all the Ocean Grovers . . If you only knew the horror the Warrington has done to us—–OCEAN GROVERS OR THOSE POOR RESIDENTS THAT HAD TO LIVE IT ON SEAVIEW AVE.
On July 2nd in NEPTUNE please come and support us at the meeting with the Warrington situation at 7:30 pm . PLEASE HELP..
shelly – Thank you for this eye-witness information. At Monday night’s Township Committee Agenda Meeting I will use this news to question what will be done now to have the banks/mortgage holders bring this house up to code.
Regarding eminent domain, I recall there was a story not so long ago that the Neptune board wanted to pass a resolution to never use eminent domain in Neptune. Anyone else remember this?
Well according to a crew from Georgia who came yesterday and changed the lock yet again on 69 Webb, they were working for Wells Fargo, Chase and BOA and the property was foreclosed. The owners also say the banks have foreclosed on the property
For the record, I went to the records department in Neptune and found that the police were called 112 times in 5 years. Is this the people we want owning in O.G.
They say they want to make it a luxury hotel but the truth is they are just avoiding repairing the 47 violations from the state and they will revert back to a boarding home when all is said and done.
We need to voice our opinion on July 2nd at the Zoning meeting and deny what they’re asking to build. It’s time for the real Grovers to stand up and be counted.
Doug: The fact that they are doctors is irrelevant as is the shame-on-you approach. Unless of course, they become ashamed of themselves and then correct 80 Main. Not!
Davis: The Sampler Inn was demolished by the Township without the permission of the owner. The building was condemned, and I understand that the owner is currently suing the Township. It is unclear why Neptune cannot do the same for some of these other buildings. That’s a question that the Derelict Houses Committee should look into. Although, to what I hear, eminent domain has not been mentioned in OG, maybe you are right about that. It’s clear that there ideas that have not been explored. Thanks, Pau
Some of the derelict buildings are owned by out of state folks, but 80 Main is owned by two local doctors who should be ashamed of themselves!!
,
I know this is unpopular but why not Eminent Domain as was used by Long Branch. That might make both the banks and owners take things a little more seriously.
Since the CMA owns the land, why can’t they do something about the hazardous buildings?
Dr. Goldfinger You said it all. Maybe someone will step up to the plate and straighten out the out of state owners like the Warrington luxury hotel. For the first time in a very long time, the 88 year old that has his important papers ready to run because he is worried about a fire in the Warrington and Park View has smiled with hope in his eyes.
LETS TAKE OUR TOWN BACK OCEAN GROVERS.
Over the 10 plus years which we have spent summering at the Grove (we own a condo in town) we have noticed a significant improvement of the run down properties. To my count there was less than 10 in the first 4 blocks of Ocean Ave that could be considered run down. Bottom line, it appears to be a cost versus return. As property values increase overall as they have been in the last few years, owners of these run down properties will continue to hold on to them assuming they can pay the taxes, etc. That’s the reality! If they are in violation of the town code, legal action should be taken by Neptune.
shelley- Because banks and mortgage holders will NOT foreclose is why Neptune and other municipalities cannot make them maintain the properties up to code. For almost an hour last meeting the Neptune Township Committee discussed an ordinance to classify these problem properties as “abandoned”, an essential step that OGHOA representatives have been asking for so that Neptune can take control of them.. The TOUR of DERELICT BUILDINGS is intended to highlight to Neptune Committee members the need for such legislation since the owners have been beyond the legal reach of Code and Construction or the Township Attorney.
The mortgage on 69 Webb Avenue is held by Deutsche Bank.
A walking tour isn’t going to do much to shame banks like Wells Fargo, Chase and BOA who each own a piece of the derelict home next to me at 69 Webb. Banks should be forced by the township to maintain and protect the properties they have foreclosed.