Dont Fence Me In - Relocation of Fence in Middleburgh Causes Rift Housing May be Built on RR Ave Property

MIDDLEBURGH - The relocation of a chain link fence in front of the former Bush Lumber company on Chestnut Lane in the Village of Middleburgh has caused some tensions among the owners of the two properties and the village.

The former Bush Lumber Co. property on Chestnut Lane was purchased at a county auction last spring and nothing was done to the property until the week before Thanksgiving when the new owners, Mid North LLC, 1767 Central Park Ave. Ste 25, Yonkers, NY, moved the fence about 12 feet closer to the street eliminating the parking spaces on that side of the street. The relocation of the fence may be a precursor to the demolition of the old lumber buildings and the construction of low-income or senior housing.

The Mountain Eagle tried contacting the new owner, Mohamed Ahmed of Mid North and City Rentals of the Bronx, via phone calls and e-mails with no response, but the owners of Middleburgh Lanes and Laundromat did give their opinions of the changes.

Rich Shultes, an owner of the lanes, said he spoke to Mr. Ahmed, who he referred to as John Ahmed, and gave him a list of the easements that the lanes has on the street for parking. Nothing was done until two weeks ago when the fences were moved, possibly for the construction of senior or low-income housing. Mr. Ahmed, Mr. Shultes recently purchased the small left to the left of the lanes and told Mr. Shultes that he would sell the lot to the lanes at a reasonable price if the Shultes did not cause any problems. The two sides are working on the purchase, Mr. Shultes said Monday.

Then, just before Thanksgiving, without any warning to the towners of the lanes, the fences were moved to the edge of the street eliminating parking on that side of Chestnut Lane.

"It's pretty close and I'm not sure what we'll do when we get a ,lot of snow," Mr. Shultes said. The village, he noted, gave permission for the relocation of the fences.

The codes officer gave the permission, Mr. Shultes added. "They've signed off on it."

Village Mayor Tim Knight said the permit was approved by the village.

"It is unfortunate that a new fence installed by Mid North LLC at the old Bush Lumber property has caused tension between neighbors, as Middleburgh Lanes is a treasured part of our Village's small business community," Mayor Knight said.

"While the fence permit was legally obtained from Village Code Enforcement Office by Mid North LLC, I wish that both parties could have sat down and discussed this at length to avoid any negative feelings and reach a compromise regarding parking. This is ultimately a dispute between neighbors and the Village has no involvement."

The village, Mr. Shultes said, should have come to him before work started and "me and the neighbor would have worked on it" before the issue went to the village.

"I think they (Mid North) put some pressure on the village," Mr. Shultes noted.

He also said that water and sewer lines are under the street where the fences were relocated. Mr. Shultes said he is not planning any legal action against the village.

Patti Shultes said they called the Sheriff's Office when workers started to move the fence. A truck dolley owned by the lanes was still on the other side of the street. The village, she added, should have called them before the work began. She did note that the new owners of the former lumber yard would buy 10 chicken barbecue dinners every Friday.

Bush Lumber closed a few years ago and then came up on the Schoharie County property auction last May for unpaid taxes. The once bustling lot is overgrown with weeds and a few pieces of left over wood and parts. Red siding is coming off what was once the main showroom.

The winning bidder for the large village lot, building, and sheds was City Rentals Inc. of PO Box 162 in the Bronx. The bidder was Mr. Ahmed.

The Mountain Eagle tried to contact Mr. Ahmed several times via telephone and e-mail about his plans for the property last fall. After initially returning a phone call in June 9, 2023, Mr. Ahmed has not answered any follow-up queries about the future plans for the plot.

The winning bid was $80,000 for the property and Mr. Ahmed put down $8.000 on the property the day of the auction, May 20, with the remaining $72,000 due in 30 days.

According to county officials, the parcel was paid in full on June 29 through M&T Bank. The deed was filed under the name of Mid North LLC, 1767 Central Park Ave. Ste 25, Yonkers, NY which is owned by Mr. Ahmed. 

The assessed value of the property is $136,000, according to the county. The equalization rate for the Town of Middleburgh is at 51% so that makes the market value $266,667.

At the time of the sale, the amount of taxes that were owned was $49,099.91, according to the county.

According to New York State records, MID NORTH LLC was established on June 21 2023 as a domestic limited liability company type registered at 1767 Central Park Ave Suite #25 Yonkers. It was registered in Albany County and the CEO is Lolya Taylor, in Monsey, New York.

An Internet search shows that 1767 Central Park Avenue in Yonkers is also home to a UPS Store.