Ownership of some of Klotz's other properties in question
Story Created:
Sep 22, 2009 at 4:03 PM EST
Story Updated:
Sep 22, 2009 at 4:12 PM EST
UTICA, N.Y. (WKTV) - Neighbors came to 102 James Street to lay down flowers in memory of the four people who died in the fire over the weekend; including one yellow bouquet one neighbor said is in memory of the animals that were lost.
Survivors were moving through the wreckage on Tuesday, salvaging whatever belongings they could from the burned building.
Owner Timothy Klotz was there, too. We asked him to respond to city claims that this building was not registered with the city to be inspected.
"The truth will come out," Klotz said, followed simply by "no comment."
Klotz owed the city more than $100,000 in back taxes on several properties.
Why didn't the city try to take them for back taxes?
They did - 11 of them.
But a law passed in 2007 made it easier for homeowners to fight those efforts and Klotz did, tying it up in court. He claims he doesn't even own four of those properties any more, but officials in the City of Utica Comptroller's office say he did.
"As far as the city is concerned, he does own it until the new owner files a deed with both the county clerk's office and the city assessors office," said Ronald MacMaster of the City Comptroller's Office. "Because there is a difference between being an owner and an owner of record."
Still no word yet on what caused the fire; it's still under investigation.
