OBSERVER Photos by Braden Carmen
The former Pawn Starz building on Route 20 in Sheridan burned down two years ago, but has remained an eyesore ever since.
Code Enforcement Officer James Crowell previously said regarding the property, “Hopefully he cleans it up. If he doesn’t, we’ll have to force his hand.”
The town is now taking action in an attempt to force a resolution. The Town Board has directed legal counsel to take action against Langendorfer in New York State Supreme Court.
The Town Board ordered attorney Joe Calimeri to take action against the property owner at a recent meeting when the Board unanimously passed a resolution to file a complaint in the State Supreme Court to enforce the State’s Uniform Fire Protection and Building Code and Local Zoning Laws. The action calls for the property to be made in compliance with codes, ordinances and laws of the town of Sheridan and the state of New York.
Throughout the past two years, residents have consistently said the area is unsafe, including claims of debris being blown by the wind into the road and onto neighboring properties. At least one resident has told the town their vehicle was damaged by a piece of debris blown into the road.
Attorney Joe Calimeri will take action against the owner of the former Pawn Starz business in the State Supreme Court.
Tom Wik, Sheridan Town Supervisor, said a goal of his upon election as supervisor was to address the Pawn Starz location.
“The priority right now is that (location),” said Wik. “We’re doing everything we know possible to get it cleaned up. It’s a priority for the entire Town Board.”
Town Councilman Joe White said of the location, “That’s got to go.”
But it is not that easy. The site is private property, and the Town not only cannot simply force a resident to clean up.
The Town has fined Langendorfer several times in Sheridan Town Court, amounting to approximately $8,400 in fines, but according to Crowell, “He has no intention of paying it.” The property has over $27,000 worth of liens placed on it, leaving the Town near the end of a long line waiting to be made whole.
Code Enforcement Officer James Crowell previously said of the Pawn Starz property, “Hopefully he cleans it up. If he doesn’t, we’ll have to force his hand.”
Crowell stated, “It’s frustrating because we went to court on this … and it doesn’t get it resolved. Then to top it off, we stand in line to collect our money with everybody else.”
The Town Board then hired Calimeri to go after the property owner in a higher court. Langendorfer will soon be due in state Supreme Court.
The property also caused a commotion before it burned down. The Southern Tier Regional Drug Task Force and the New York State Police Special Investigation Unit had the site under investigation in 2018, focused on the trafficking of narcotics and stolen property. Officers claimed to have seized narcotics and other contraband while executing a search warrant on the property, and Langendorfer faced several charges centered around drugs, stolen property, and criminal possession of a weapon.
The Town has not pursued purchasing the damaged property, nor cleaning up the mess itself, because of the burden that would put on Sheridan taxpayers. The Town does not want one property owner’s mess to fall on the taxpayers of the Town as a whole, through cleanup costs at the Town’s expense, or as it stands now, as an eyesore and a hazard. The Town hopes to have better luck by going through the Supreme Court.