Middleburgh Village Closer to Owning Chalet

MIDDLEBURGH - The Village of Middleburgh continues to inch toward the ownership of the "chalet" building and more parking on Railroad Avenue,

The village's takeover of the former "Chalet" building moved forward at a special meeting last week and a purchase this year appears imminent.

At a special meeting last Tuesday, board members authorized Mayor Tum Knight to sign a legal agreement with Young Sommer to proceed with the 111 Railroad Avenue property acquisition. The estimated cost for this procedure is $2,500, so long as there are no issues.

Village Attorney Fred Mauhs has supplied Young Sommer with the applicable legal documents and research he has compiled since last year, while Village Clerk Melanie Laraway has provided them with the property owner's tax delinquency files.

At February's village board meeting, Attorney Mauhs said he prepared the legal notices to file the Article 19-A proceeding. An Article 19-A proceeding is a special proceeding to convey title to an abandoned dwelling to a municipality, in this case, the Village of Middleburgh. 

According to state law, an Article 19-A proceeding stated that upon a finding by the court that the dwelling is abandoned, the court shall enter a final judgement in favor of the petitioned, also in this case the village.

Mr. Mauhs said the papers will be sent to the current owners, Full Moon Dry Cleaners in Patchogue, Long Island, and the prior owners, DTH Roe Inc. of Austin, Texas. DTH supposedly holds a $34,000 mortgage on the abandoned property.

The village will wait for an answer from Full Moon and DTH  but none is expected, Mr. Mauhs said.

Village officials noted that the companies could be "shell companies" set up to move money around.

The village is attempting to gain ownership of the property through eminent domain.

The letters of intent are done and sent out.

On Halloween, Village Code Enforcement Rick Fink placed a Notification of Certification of Abandonment on the building.

The notice posted on the battered front door reads, "As of October 31, 2024 Chief Building Inspector for the village a Middleburgh has determined that this building is legally abandoned pursuant to New York State Real Property and Proceedings Law Article 19-A. The reasons for this certification of abandonment are on file in the building inspector's office 309 Main St., Middleburgh, New York 12122, and are available to either the owner and or interested parties with a registered lien interest, upon request. Notice: It is a crime to take, remove or otherwise damage any fixture or part of the building structure."

Village board members in October agreed to move forward to take ownership of 111 Railroad Avenue for the purpose of demolition. The plan is to use the cleared lot for parking. Village board members have agreed to get quotes for an asbestos survey and the removal of the asbestos.

In October Mayor Knight had one quote from a firm proposed by the village engineers, Delaware Engineering. The quote for the asbestos survey was $2,150. To continue the process of buying the building, the 2025 village budget  includes $4,000 for litigation to purchase the building.

The removal of the asbestos and eventual demolition of the building will, of course, have to wait until the village gains ownership of the building.

It is estimated that the purchase process will take four to six months.

At the September meeting, board members were told that the village had been contacted by two firms with quotes on demolishing the two-story wooden building that has been abandoned for several years. The quotes for demolition were $35,000 and $57,500. One firm assumed there was asbestos in the building, the other did not. There was no indication that the quotes would expire any time soon. Grants could be available to help pay for removal, the Mayor said.

Village officials have tried, and failed, to contact the owners of the building.

The building has been abandoned and been owned by absentee landlords for years. It is now home to pigeons, other animals and human intruders. The building, which was a dry goods and mercantile store 100 years ago, was the subject of a Mountain Eagle Forgotten Schoharie County feature last summer.

During the summer, Mr. Fink told board members that he has issued violations, to no avail.

It was noted that the property is sometimes listed in Zillow for sale and is quickly sold to someone (or some business) outside the area. 

The companies that own the building may not "exist," officials said, and letters come back unanswered.

The building is currently owned by a dry cleaning company out of Patchogue, Long Island. The corporation, Full Moon Dry Cleaners LLC, located on 25 East Patchogue-Yaphank Road in Patchogue, Long Island, has owned it since January 2022. The deed was filed in April 2022 with a purchase price of $60,000, according to the Schoharie County Real Property Tax office. The office "red flagged" the sale because of the purchase price. Attempts to contact the company have been fruitless.

In addition to the Mountain Eagle's attempts to contact Full Moon Dry Cleaners, the Village of Middleburgh has sent the owners tax bills and other letters for over two years. All have gone unanswered. The county Real Property Tax Office has reported that the 2023 town and county and 2022 school tax bills are delinquent. Water and sewer bills also are not being paid.

The wooden two-story building (with an attic), which has been nicknamed "the chalet" by some local residents because of its trim and siding, has had several owners over the past 20 years.

Before being purchased by the Full Moon Dry Cleaners (no phone number  listed), which filed the deed in April 2022, it was owned by DTH Roe Inc. of Austin, Texas. DTH Roe bought the building from Deutsche Bank National Trust Company of West Palm Beach Florida  (and a post office box in Texas) in February 2017. Deutsche Bank bought it from Gerald Morales in April, 2016, according to the county Real Property Tax Office. Mr. Morales purchased it from Snyder Proper LLC, which was incorporated in October 1998.The oldest deed for the building is listed as Albert Bliss in the early 1900s from Carr Sheldon for the lot off of Sheldon Avenue. Members of the Bliss family said the property was deeded to Frank Bliss in 1895 and was in the Snyder family until 2005.

The building served as a dry goods and mercantile store for many years, selling Pillsbury Flour among other items on a dirt street.