Summary warrant issued for WVCI building owner
A civil, summary warrant has been issued for the New Jersey man who owns the vacant WCVI building on East Crawford Avenue in Connellsville.
Connellsville Magisterial District Justice Ronald J. Haggerty’s office issued the warrant in December after building owner Leighton Simpson of Pampton Lake, N.J., failed to respond to three citations charging him with allegedly failing to demolish the building, cut weeds and maintain the property.
Simpson could not be reached for comment.
City health, code and zoning officer Tom Currey filed the citations in October.
Simpson bought the property from Fayette County in a repository sale over the summer, but did nothing to address the unsafe condition of the building, Currey said.
The city sent Simpson a letter offering it’s help, but he didn’t respond, Currey said.
Some time after he registered the property deed, Simpson offered the building for sale online for $50,000, Currey said.
After seeing the ad, Currey said the city sent him a certified letter that reinstated a previous order to demolish the building and gave him 15 days to fix it up and cut the weeds. Simpson accepted the letter, but did nothing to the building, Currey said.
The city filed the citations and, after Simpson didn’t respond, Haggerty’s office issued the warrant.
“My gut reaction: He’s not going to do anything,” Currey said about how he believes Simpson will respond to the warrant.
Demolishing the large, brick and masonry building, which was built in 1900 and contains 8,260 square feet of floor space, would cost $60,000, Currey estimated.
“The city can’t afford it. That’s why we need to told the owner responsible. He has a responsibility to the citizens of Connellsville to do something to that property,” Currey said.