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<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; Most of the time Bob Baral sees things from a half-full perspective, but not when it comes to the property he bought next door to his house.</p><p>His half of a double-block house at 51 Nicholson St. is empty. He wants to buy the other side at 49 Nicholson and demolish the whole thing to finally get rid of the dilapidated eyesore and sell the land to a neighbor at cost. The problem is that owner wants too much, way too much for Baral.</p><p>While he is unable to meet the demands, Baral said the owner Manuel Felipe Leon continues to renovate his portion, slowly, sloppily and shoddily with the permission of the city.</p><p>Two job cards and a construction permit notice were taped to the front window. Construction debris was piled outside the rear door at the 49 side and garbage littered that side of the property. Baral pointed out cracks and holes slathered with concrete on the masonry wall supporting the front porch and a noticeable depression on a newly shingled lower roof in the rear.</p><p>&#8220;My big question is where is the city enforcing the code standards in construction?&#8221; Baral asked Thursday. &#8220;The quality of the work being done there certainly doesn&#8217;t speak of a professional contractor.&#8221;</p><p>The contractors are licensed and they are working at his pace, Leon said.</p><p>&#8220;I try to fix a little by little,&#8221; he said.</p><p>Leon gave no time frame for the work to be completed. &#8220;I&#8217;m not sure, but I take my time,&#8221; he said.</p><p>Meanwhile, Baral said he and other neighbors have to live with the mess that won&#8217;t go away and ruins their quality of life.</p><p>&#8220;I suspect this is going on throughout the city,&#8221; he said.</p><p>Baral spoke out about the problem in January 2015. The city condemned 49 Nicholson St. that had a different owner back then and trucked away garbage from inside and out.</p><p>But, he said, if he didn&#8217;t go public again with his concerns and those of his neighbors, things would get worse &#8212; not only for the neighborhood but elsewhere.</p><p>&#8220;If people don&#8217;t and we continue to remain silent, the city will continue to deteriorate and die,&#8221; Baral said.</p><p>He took steps last November to address the problem. He purchased 51 Nicholson St. for $3,000 from Rosemary Ryan, of Lake Worth, Florida, according to documents filed with the Luzerne County Recorder of Deeds.</p><p>In September, Luis Saavedra, of Hazleton, transferred 49 Nicholson St. to Leon for $1,000, according to a quit claim deed filed with the county office. Leon owes $835 in back taxes on the property for 2015, according to the county Tax Claim Bureau.</p><p>Baral inquired about buying 49 Nicholson St. and Leon wanted $20,000.</p><p>Priced out of the purchase, Baral said he has watched workers troop in and out of Leon&#8217;s property on the weekends. They&#8217;ve brought in a portable heater and used a portable generator to power tools, Baral said. The work he&#8217;s seen is clearly substandard, Baral said.</p><p>City councilman Tony Brooks, who represents the Rolling Mill Hill neighborhood in District B, met with Baral and neighbors about the property and saw the same thing.</p><p>&#8220;The people of Nicholson Street should not have to live next to the blighted property. The current work on the property is so subpar, any reasonable person could see that a new window installed on an angle would not pass inspection,&#8221; Brooks said.</p><p>Given that the renovations have been underway for months, Brooks said setting deadlines on projects is something he supports.</p><p>&#8220;I believe we need to review the length of time to complete work when a permit is issued,&#8221; Brooks said.</p><p>Mayor Tony George is familiar with the property from his time on the city council. He said he would see if he could get an inspector to the property on Friday.</p><p>Although the renovations are underway, it&#8217;s not a guarantee they will be approved and the property declared ready to occupy, he said.</p><p>&#8220;They can&#8217;t get an occupancy permit until it&#8217;s inspected and cleared,&#8221; George said.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">The poor condition of a house being renovated at 49 Nicholson St. and debris left outside has neighbors concerned about the property and the work being done on it. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/web1_TTL030416NicholsonSt1.jpg</photo0><caption0>The poor condition of a house being renovated at 49 Nicholson St. and debris left outside has neighbors concerned about the property and the work being done on it. </caption0><photoCredit0>Clark Van Orden | Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/web1_TTL030416NicholsonSt2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Neighbors of a property being renovated at 49 Nicholson St. in Wilkes-Barre have raised concerns about the quality of the work and the condition of the house. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/web1_TTL030416NicholsonSt2.jpg</photo1><caption1>Neighbors of a property being renovated at 49 Nicholson St. in Wilkes-Barre have raised concerns about the quality of the work and the condition of the house. </caption1><photoCredit1>Clark Van Orden | Times Leader </photoCredit1></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Jerry Lynott</p><p>jlynott@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Jerry Lynott at 570-991-6120 or on Twitter @TLJerryLynott</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Dilapidated Nicholson Street double-block still a dump; neighbor wonders how many more there are throughout the city