Story Created:
May 20, 2010 at 12:18 PM EDT
Story Updated:
May 20, 2010 at 12:39 PM EDT
UTICA, N.Y. (WKTV) - The bill is in for the demolition of fire-ravaged 102 James Street in Utica. Four people died in the building last September.
The city was forced to tear it down after the landlord, Timothy Klotz, failed to do so. City official originally said the bill to take down the multi-unit building could top out around $100,000. It turned out to be nearly 30% higher, at $129,377.29. And city officials say that total is likely to grow once they tally up the cost for back-filling the site.
Reached by phone on Thursday, landlord Timothy Klotz said he'd not yet heard back from his insurance company regarding reimbursement.
"I just want to state again that I had a $68,000 estimate to tear down the building...why didn't the city honor it?"
City officials say they will garnish Klotz's wages or place liens on other properties he owns if they have to in order to get their money back.
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