MICHAEL SUCKAU
WESTFIELD – The Health Department will issue condemnation orders for two properties that have been abandoned and fallen into a state of disrepair.
Health Director Michael Suckau reported to the Board of Health Tuesday that the department has posted condemnation orders on two abandoned properties. The two properties posted are both in outlying areas of the city, one at 68 Northwest Road and the other at 179 Sackett Road
Suckau said that the condemnation process is initiated by a complaint filed by another municipal department or a citizen.
“We get a complaint, then go out to do an (public health) assessment of the property,” Suckau said.
“If the property is occupied, we ask for permission to enter and do an inspection,” he said.
“If the property is not occupied, we try to track down the most recent owner,” Suckau said. “The Law Department does a deed search to find the most immediate owner of the property. If the owner can be identified, we issue an order to correct the problem.”
“If we can’t find the owner, we can, under emergency provisions of the state housing code, issue a condemnation order,” he said.
“Those orders have a time frame to correct the issues cited,” Suckau said. “If there is no response, we can seek a demolition order from the (Hampden Housing) Court.
One of the properties for which a condemnation order was issued was reported by the Westfield Police Department after officers discovered an under-aged drinking party on Aug. 22, 2012 at 68 Northwest Road. Officers arrested eight subjects and issued criminal complaints to six juveniles.
“We have another 10 to 12 properties for which we have no owners that we can immediately contact. We anticipate issuing two more condemnation orders next week and continuing the process for the other properties,” Suckau said. “All of these properties have been an issue for a relatively long time.”
Suckau said, during the Health Board meeting, that the department is working on an ordinance to allow the city to fine the owners if the city has to take action to clean the abandoned property. If the city has to demolish the property, the cost of that action is attached to the property deed as a lien.
