A historic building in Port Henry, New York, that became gutted after a fire was demolished after Moriah town officials said they could no longer ignore the safety risks, a report by Sun Community News says. The 19th century brick building burned in April and was considered unstable in the aftermath.
The town leased a piece of heavy equipment and an operator from Kubricky Construction Corp., Wilton, New York, to tear down the building. A state of emergency was declared by the town in July to speed up the process and it got permission to proceed from the Supreme Court.
Moriah Supervisor Tom Scozzafava says in the report the demolition and associated cost would run the town up to $40,000, including $8,000 in attorney’s fees. Minimal amounts of asbestos were found on-site.
Independently, the town filed a criminal complaint against Greg Cunningham, the building’s owner who failed to show for an Aug. 14 hearing. Town Justice Richard Carpenter issued a warrant for his arrest and sent sheriff’s deputies to go find him.
The complaint was brought on charges of owning a building that threatened public safety, the report says. The town’s attorney, John Silvestri, says in the report Cunningham could face a $250 fine and 15 days in jail for each day he violated the town’s safety laws, dating back to July 12.
According to the report, Moriah had been put on notice by its insurance company that it faced liability issues should an accident occur. The town went to court twice to get Cunningham to demolish the property, which he stated he intended to do. Both times he failed to appear for the hearing.
Cunningham was scheduled to be in court later the week of Aug. 13 to answer a criminal summons brought by Moriah for creating a safety hazard, the report says. The town will recoup financial losses by placing a lien on the property, rolling it into the tax bill. If it isn’t paid, the property could be seized and sold.
The building was assessed at $137,800.