Community Watchdog

There was a fire in the house next door 14 months ago. It’s been vacant since and nests of bees and raccoons have settled in the garage, a few feet from my house. Police have been called because kids drink in the back. It’s been a mess. I’ve called a million different people but the Town of Hempstead won’t do anything. I thought they’d knock it down and clean it up because it’s a hazard.
--John Druckman, Seaford

The town had told Druckman it would take about a year from the time of the fire before they could fix this problem, but it’s taken longer than that because officials have been trying to balance the needs of neighbors and accommodate the elderly man who lost his house.

Town spokesman Michael Deery said the town has the power to order a demolition but has not done so because the homeowner first said he wanted to rebuild and needed to submit plans for his permits.

The town waited for the plans, however, the man apparently didn’t have insurance on the house and didn’t have the money to rebuild. When the town inquired about the property, he then indicated that he planned to sell. There’s a broker’s name on the house but no sale has taken place, Deery said.

“We are continuing to work with him,” he said. “We’re hoping if he’s looking to sell the property that might bring about an amicable solution.”

Town press secretary Susie Trenkle said it usually doesn’t take this long for the property to be remediated because most people have insurance and the town expedites permits to rebuild after a fire.

However, if action isn’t taken by the homeowner and the house needs to be demolished, the town can begin legal proceedings that would lead to demolition.

Town residents with similar problems should call 516 489-6000.

A number of complaints/problems sent to Newsday’s Community Watchdog column have little to do with government agencies or the inaction of town officials.

Neighbors have a lot to do with how much homeowners enjoy where they live.

Whether it’s the people who live next door and down the block or businesses that share the street, our quality of life is affected by how we get along with our neighbors, how neighbors conduct themselves and whether they’re considerate of others in the area.

Some of the complaints we’ve gotten about bad neighbors include a Brentwood man who’d like his neighbors to take in their garbage cans so they’re not at the curb 24-7. Doesn’t seem like too much too ask, but apparently the people who live on this street are too lazy to bring in the containers and leave them to litter the area. Would you like to live next door those homeowners?

In Lindenhurst, a homeowner is concerned about a 40-foot crane stored in a nearby backyard with other materials he believes are creating an eyesore and possible hazard. Who wants a 40-foot crane stored in a neighborhood backyard? Wouldn’t it make you nervous if you lived next door?

A Merrick homeowner contacted us because the view from his dining room window is his neighbor’s commercial truck. If you know what you’re doing is distressing to your neighbor, why not do something to change that?

In Lakeview, a resident who lives near an auto body shop has to listen to a barking watchdog left outside. This collision shop owner has been warned before by town code enforcement officers, but after a brief period of relief, the problem returns. How would you like to live near to a guard dog that barks constantly?

It wouldn't take much to remedy annoyances like these, but it does take people who care about other people. If your neighbor has voiced concern about something on your side of the fence, a good New Year’s resolution would be to take care of the problem and be a better neighbor, or at least be a less annoying one.