As the Town of Wawarsing pursues negligent property owners, code enforcement officers expect some "negative feedback," and they get it – sometimes in a very public forum. People just don't like to be told what to do, especially on their own property, and that goes double for when the code violations will be costly to clean up.

Harvey Tann owns a property with several buildings that Town of Wawarsing code officers cited as violating town codes, and he was ordered in a letter to make the buildings "safe and secure," or demolish them.

Tann, who arranged to have one of the buildings used for a "controlled burn," still needs to deal with the debris left after the building was burned, and with two other buildings in various stages of decay.

A very distraught Tann appeared at a recent town meeting to object to the fact that the written notification he received on April 27, giving him until May 1 to correct the violations, and said he had not received a registered letter Town Supervisor James Dolaway said is always sent as part of the notification process.

And he said the letter was unsigned and not on letterhead. "I have no idea who this is from," Tann said. He also asked town officials if other property owners have been told to clean up, "or is it only me, a man of color? Why am I picked out, abused, and threatened with the loss of my property?"

Although Dolaway said he would have to discuss the issue with Code Enforcement officer Robin Coleman and building department head Jack Kissel, he assured Tann that the "town is addressing other properties."

Collier's response was more direct. "There's been an on-going file on your property for years. You've had many letters."

Collier advised Tann to continue talking with Coleman on resolution.

Coleman later agreed with Dolaway's assertion that the town is making an effort to clean up some of the worst properties.

"Most definitely," said Coleman. "The building department has done a lot of enforcement in removing unsafe structures in the recent past."

Coleman said besides financial concerns, absentee landlords of vacant properties create problems, and some people just aren't aware that they are in violation.

In the more than two years since Coleman came on as the code enforcement officer, she said most violators have been cooperative about addressing violations, and get the work done before the town has to step in and have it cleaned up and apply the cost to the property owner's tax bill.

The properties the building department deals with are far more than "messy back yards." They aren't just tromping around in people's flower beds, but dealing with massive amounts of vehicles, tires, appliances and assorted trash and rubbish, and with serious health and safety hazards in abandoned and derelict buildings.

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