Site of West Street fire was in foreclosure
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By JOLEEN FERRIS
Story Created:
Jul 3, 2008 at 3:43 PM EST
Story Updated:
Jul 3, 2008 at 5:11 PM EST
UTICA - The vacant Park West Regency Apartment Building that was the victim of fire Wednesday night is in foreclosure.
The building Thursday sported a for sale sign and had a hefty back tax bill.
It must have been a gorgeous property in its day, but now it's boarded up and run down. If you look inside the windows you can see paint peeling off the walls.
There are "For Sale" signs with two different phone numbers on the former Park West Regency Apartment complex. The city assessors and tax office list D.C. Properties in Utica as the owners.
Owner Dominick Crocilla didn't return our call Thursday. According to the city assessor, the house was in foreclosure. D.C. Properties owes a total of around $7,500 in back taxes, and they have to pay around $6,100 of that by September 24 in order to stop the foreclosure.
Fire Department records show that the owner did not have fire insurance on the building.
If a building burns to the ground, owners are still responsible for the back taxes.
But if it happens before August 1, which is the assessor's office "taxable status date," the owner could request a change in the property's status, asking for it to be taxed as a vacant lot, which is cheaper than a large structure.
If that request were to be granted, it would be from that point forward. back taxes still stand.
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