MINERSVILLE - Despite having a new owner, a blighted property in Branch Township continues to be a nuisance for neighbors and township officials.
A company called Deeds R US LLC, Las Vegas, Nevada, purchased 617 Pine Hill St. in January for $715 through the county repository.
The online Schuylkill Parcel Locator had listed the previous owners as John, Sharon and Elizabeth McConkey.
They were cited 14 times for code violations, and the property has more than $30,000 in liens, John Andruchek, township code official, said.
About a year ago, Andruchek said township workers removed three Dumpster loads of garbage from the property. On Tuesday, the weeds were nearly as high as the neighboring wooden fence.
Rita Ruscavage, who has lived at 615 Pine Hill St. for almost 50 years, said she is constantly catching rats in her yard.
"It's disgusting," she said Tuesday. "I don't know what else to do."
She said the property has been vacant for at least the last 10 years.
The properties at 617 and 619 Pine Hill St. share the messy yard. The township mailed certified letters in June to both Deeds R Us and the owner of 619 Pine Hill St., Azcan RPG LLC, Phoenix, Arizona. Neither company has responded.
Andruchek said he has also tried unsuccessfully to contact the companies by calling the numbers they have listed.
For a company to bid on a property, it can not have any delinquent taxes, Angela D. Toomey, director of the county tax claim bureau, said.
Also, all taxing bodies, including the county, township and school district, have to approve a sale in order for it to go through.
"They all consented or it could not have been sold," Toomey said.
The county commissioners have sponsored a local demolition and rehabilitation program since 1997. The board commits at least 30 percent of state Community Development Block Grant funding to the program.
The program is open to all boroughs and townships in Schuylkill County, but participating municipalities must be willing to pay for 25 percent of the demolition and other assessment costs. The property must either be condemned through a court order or owned by the municipality.
"The county commissioners have committed to taking it into the demolition program," Gary Bender, county director of community development, said. "All they have to do is acquire ownership."
Andruchek said the township has acquired blighted properties for a $1 from the county to demolish them on multiple occasions over the past several years.
According to the county tax claims bureau website, the minimum acceptable bid is generally the cost for the judicial sale, which is clear of as many liens and encumbrances as possible. A property can also accumulate additional costs and fees, which is why 617 Pine Hill St. sold for $715 instead of $1.
Andruchek said the township can not afford acquiring the property, plus the 25 percent of demolition and additional engineering costs.
"It all adds up, and money is tight," he said.
Deeds R US owns several properties throughout Schuylkill County, including 627 E. Mahanoy Ave., Girardville, 201-203 Columbus St., Shenandoah, and 406 E. Norwegian St., Pottsville.