City: we won't get stuck with demolition bill; Klotz: "I could've done it for less"
Story Created:
May 6, 2010 at 12:05 PM EDT
Story Updated:
May 6, 2010 at 12:42 PM EDT
UTICA, N.Y. (WKTV) - The City of Utica tore down 102 James Street over the weekend - a site where four people died in a fire at the apartment building back in September.
Since then, the city and landlord Timothy Klotz have been involved in a legal tug-of-war over the building's demolition.
The passing of a city court-imposed deadline for Klotz to tear down the building allowed the city to move in and demolish it. City attorneys estimate the cost of the demolition, plus tipping fees to haul away the debris and a 20% administrative fee, could bring the bill-which they plan on sending to Klotz-to more than $100,000.
Klotz, however, claims he had an estimate from a licensed contractor to demolish the building for much less -around $68,000.
Does that mean the city could get stuck with that six-figure demolition bill?
City attorneys aren't worried.
"The city is not in the business of competitively bidding for private demolition jobs," said City Attorney Joan Harris. "We explained to him that the city's costs are the city's costs, and we are allowed under our ordinance to charge not only our demolition costs, but our 20% administrative fee on top of that."
"It's not fair that I had a lower bid with a licensed contractor that was all set up to do the work then the city just moved in..." Klotz said.
City officials have not yet billed Klotz and probably won't until all the debris from 102 James Street is hauled away. That could take about another week.
City attorneys said they will be reimbursed, whether the easy way, by Klotz willingly paying the demolition bill, or the hard way, by garnishing his earnings or pursuing liens on his other properties.
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