Steinmann
In every edition of the Ewing Observer, Mayor Bert Steinmann answers readers’ questions.
We have an abandoned house on our street (Perry Drive). At one time there was a “for sale” sign; but that has gone, and the house in deteriorating rapidly. It is likely to lower home values in the neighborhood and hence property tax collections.
How can the township help alleviate this situation, find the owner, and force a sale or cleanup before squatters arrive or a fire destroys the structure?
–John Bing
Once we are made aware that a house has been abandoned, our code enforcement department will check the tax records for both the owner of record and the name of the institution that has the lien on the property.
When the owner of record does not respond, we reach out to the financial institution and ask that they secure the property. The financial institution usually hires a property management company to secure the property, which includes turning off the water, making sure the pipes are sufficiently protected and then securing the property.
If there is no financial institution then the town would secure the property and start the process of cleanup and sale. Whatever money the township spends during this process will be assessed as a lien that would be recovered upon the sale of the property.
There is also a registration fee for any property that is abandoned or vacated. The registration fee schedule is as follows: $250 the first year, $500 for the second year, and $1,000.00 for the third and fourth year. After five years the registration fee will be $5,000 each year.
My family and I reside in the Hampton Hills section of the city. We’ve noticed many geysers of water coming through the cracks in the streets, and subsequently utility crews have come to repair them by cutting large pieces out of the street and correcting the problem at its source, I’m assuming.
Why have I noticed this so often recently, and what is causing the water to break the street and flow out? Should I be concerned for my house, basement or property since this is happening all over my neighborhood?
–Kevin Facchine
The water pipes in the street are owned by Trenton Water. The extreme temperatures that all of us have been dealing with is the main cause of the many water leaks that you have noticed lately.
When the freezing temperatures start to warm up, the pipes in the ground will often have to deal with the pressure of the soil moving and on occasion movement in the pipes.
Trenton Water is responsible for all repairs of the pipes in the street and up to your curb. However if there is a water line break from inside the curb it is the homeowner’s responsibility to repair.
If you have a question for the mayor for next month’s edition, submit it by emailing bsanservino@mercerspace.com or by going to mercerspace.com and searching for “Ask the Mayor.” You must be a Ewing resident.
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