Oxford mayor wants county to demolish condemned building
OXFORD – The fate of a boarded-up and condemned building in the Village of Oxford remains in limbo as Chenango County lawmakers wait out another tax sale round scheduled for the end of October.
The early 1900s era structure, located on state Rt. 12 in the heart of the village, was formerly owned by the Better Oxford Realty Corp. The realty company failed to pay property taxes for the past three years, however, so Chenango County took official ownership and put it on the chopping block at its annual tax sale in July.
A New York City business placed the winning bid of $2,600 for the former merchant and apartment building, but later forfeited. The property is one of nine in arrears that the county tax department will offer to the public again in a sale at 5 p.m. Oct. 28 at the County Office Building.
Mayor Terry Stark told members of the Finance Committee last Thursday that the village would agree to purchase the property if the county would pay to have it torn down. He said an Oxford businessman would, in turn, purchase the property from the village and expand his own enterprise, possibly creating jobs.
According to Stark, the businessman had attempted to purchase the property himself in the past, but found he could not afford the demolition cost and, in particular, the high tipping fees quoted at the county landfill. The structure is laden with asbestos contaminated materials, he said.
Village taxpayers would not be able to afford the costs either, Stark said. Contractors’ estimates are as high as $40,000 to $60,000 to demolish it and $20,000 in tipping fees to dispose it.
“It’s loaded with it (asbestos),” agreed Chairman Lawrence Wilcox, the supervisor of the Town of Oxford.
The Chenango County Code Enforcement Office deemed the building unsafe in 2003. Since then, Stark said has received complaints from villagers who walk by the property concerning dead trees that could fall, unsightly weeds and the structure’s general safety.
“I have a liability relative to the village,” he said. “And I’m trying to find a way that works for everybody.”
County Treasurer William Evans suggested that the committee wait until the next round of bidding takes place, but added that the county’s “desire would be to have the real property owner step up and pay their taxes.”
In the meantime, Town of Lincklaen Supervisor Wayne Outwater suggested that Stark contact the Chenango Industrial Development Corporation to see whether any state or federal funding was available to demolish the building and create a business park. Stark said the village would need to be the property’s official owner in order to make any grant applications.
“My goal is to have a position taken by the county about what I should be doing. At the end of the day, it needs to be demolished. Like it or not, it is a matter of the county,” Stark said.
Evans said the county pays about $6,000 a year in property and school taxes on the structure. “It’s not getting any cheaper for us,” he said.
Finance Committee members, Alton B. Doyle, R-Guilford, and Harry Conley, R-Sherburne, said they thought the tipping fee estimate was high.
The early 1900s era structure, located on state Rt. 12 in the heart of the village, was formerly owned by the Better Oxford Realty Corp. The realty company failed to pay property taxes for the past three years, however, so Chenango County took official ownership and put it on the chopping block at its annual tax sale in July.
A New York City business placed the winning bid of $2,600 for the former merchant and apartment building, but later forfeited. The property is one of nine in arrears that the county tax department will offer to the public again in a sale at 5 p.m. Oct. 28 at the County Office Building.
Mayor Terry Stark told members of the Finance Committee last Thursday that the village would agree to purchase the property if the county would pay to have it torn down. He said an Oxford businessman would, in turn, purchase the property from the village and expand his own enterprise, possibly creating jobs.
According to Stark, the businessman had attempted to purchase the property himself in the past, but found he could not afford the demolition cost and, in particular, the high tipping fees quoted at the county landfill. The structure is laden with asbestos contaminated materials, he said.
Village taxpayers would not be able to afford the costs either, Stark said. Contractors’ estimates are as high as $40,000 to $60,000 to demolish it and $20,000 in tipping fees to dispose it.
“It’s loaded with it (asbestos),” agreed Chairman Lawrence Wilcox, the supervisor of the Town of Oxford.
The Chenango County Code Enforcement Office deemed the building unsafe in 2003. Since then, Stark said has received complaints from villagers who walk by the property concerning dead trees that could fall, unsightly weeds and the structure’s general safety.
“I have a liability relative to the village,” he said. “And I’m trying to find a way that works for everybody.”
County Treasurer William Evans suggested that the committee wait until the next round of bidding takes place, but added that the county’s “desire would be to have the real property owner step up and pay their taxes.”
In the meantime, Town of Lincklaen Supervisor Wayne Outwater suggested that Stark contact the Chenango Industrial Development Corporation to see whether any state or federal funding was available to demolish the building and create a business park. Stark said the village would need to be the property’s official owner in order to make any grant applications.
“My goal is to have a position taken by the county about what I should be doing. At the end of the day, it needs to be demolished. Like it or not, it is a matter of the county,” Stark said.
Evans said the county pays about $6,000 a year in property and school taxes on the structure. “It’s not getting any cheaper for us,” he said.
Finance Committee members, Alton B. Doyle, R-Guilford, and Harry Conley, R-Sherburne, said they thought the tipping fee estimate was high.
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