HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. (PIX11) – You can expect to see fewer abandoned homes in one Long Island community over the next few months.
Officials in the Village of Hempstead have demolished the first of more than a dozen houses they say have been an eyesore for years.
“We are making a major step in eliminating blight here in our community and uplifting our community,” said Dr. Sedgwick Easley, the publicity director for the Village of Hempstead’s mayor.
As the village revitalizes its downtown area, officials want the residential parts to follow the same path. In addition to an aesthetic improvement, they believe it will increase the property value of nearby homes.
“It is our goal again, first of all, to remove this eyesore from the community and then moving forward, whatever it takes, to get it back on the tax roll — to put it on the market,” said Waylyn Hobbs Jr., the village’s mayor.
The house had been abandoned for about 10 years, and based on their search of tax records, they say they went through every legal process to try to notify the owner and move forward in tearing apart the house.
“We searched the county records and everything else,” said Keisha Marshall, the village attorney. “We believe this home is owned by a tax lien buyer who is probably now defunct.”
The village has a court order to remove the structure but is not taking ownership of the property. They say multiple tax lien buyers are interested in purchasing and paying off the debt as an investment.
Residents throughout the village can expect more dilapidated houses in the neighborhood to be removed soon, as its sights are set on 14 more of these types of properties.
After going through the proper channels, they plan to demolish them all and hope new homes will be built and put on the market.
