In continued efforts to protect our suburban quality of life, Oyster Bay Town Supervisor Joseph Saladino, Councilman Louis Imbroto and Clerk James Altadonna Jr. today announced that the Quality of Life Task Force – with assistance from the Town’s Code Enforcement Bureau – recently vacated squatters and illegal renters from a home on South Windhorst Drive in Bethpage, following complaints about a potentially dangerous situation.
“The Town of Oyster Bay is rated one of the best places to live in America thanks to our suburban quality of life. When it comes to preserving the suburban integrity that attracts residents to the area, we take all concerns seriously and thank the public for serving as our second set of eyes and ears in the community,” said Supervisor Saladino.
After receiving neighborhood complaints regarding the South Windhorst Drive home, Town Code Enforcement Officers discovered squatters, an illegal tenant situation and deplorable living conditions. A tenant vacating the home cooperated with the investigation, providing Code Enforcement Officers access to the home which revealed frayed and exposed wiring, exposed and leaking pipes, holes in the roof and other dangerous circumstances. An order to vacate was issued to protect public health, safety and welfare.
Councilman Imbroto stated, “The Quality of Life Task Force has achieved many successes in addressing issues facing our communities, including the removal of squatters and demolition of dangerous vacant homes. Our Town Board has approved comprehensive laws to combat zombie homes, requiring banks that have commenced foreclosure actions on a property to deposit $25,000 into a maintenance escrow account, and have banned the use of plywood on home doors and windows. We will continue to tackle any and all quality of life concerns that plaque our residents and communities.”
“Absentee and neglectful landlord scenarios often create potentially dangerous situations,” said Town Clerk James Altadonna Jr. “Our Town Quality of Life Task Force is ridding communities of blight and working diligently to protect and preserve the suburban character of our communities. No community should be weighed down by squatters, dangerous illegal rentals, and rundown houses that pose a hazardous situation to surrounding homeowners.”
The Oyster Bay Town Quality of Life Task Force – chaired by Councilman Imbroto and Clerk Altadonna Jr. – is charged with combatting vacant and dilapidated homes, as well as focus on code enforcement concerns such as illegal housing, zombie homes, illegal business signs, noise, and unlicensed and uninsured contractors and landscapers.