web1_TTL032219chamber2.jpg

Noted global economist says no recession — for now

web1_CHRRlogo_UseFirst.jpg

Unhealthy us: Luzerne is low in annual county health rankings

<p>After racking up more than half a million dollars in unpaid real estate taxes dating back over a decade, a former industrial print shop in Duryea has been listed in Luzerne County&#8217;s April 25 tax sale.</p><p>The former Huber Breaker property, which falls in both Ashley and Hanover Township, also is in the upcoming auction.</p><p>Dalton-based T.P. Corporation, which owns the Duryea property, stopped paying real estate taxes in 2006 and owes $557,500.</p><p>Properties must be auctioned if taxes have gone unpaid for two years unless the owner is complying with a repayment plan, is involved in an active bankruptcy proceeding or obtains a court order.</p><p>In this case, T.P. filed a bankruptcy in September 2008.</p><p>After unsuccessfully trying to sell the Foote Avenue property through a Realtor in 2008, the bankruptcy trustee filed a notice to abandon the property in November 2010, a court filing said. Government cleanup of severe environmental issues discovered at the site caused further delays bringing the 1-acre property to auction.</p><p>The state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) had requested a sale delay so cleanup could be completed before a new owner took possession.</p><p>The business operating at the site had coated and printed on fabric and left a large industrial building filled with containers holding chemicals, solvents and hazardous waste, DEP said. After removing the drums in 2012, the state agency pinpointed four areas with soil containing contaminants above state health standard levels.</p><p>DEP contractors removed 920 tons of contaminated soil and other material in 2018 and submitted a project closure report last month, said DEP spokeswoman Colleen Connolly.</p><p>Before the April tax sale, DEP will place a &#8220;hazardous sites&#8221; order on the property to prevent groundwater use and interference with remedial measures, Connolly said.</p><p>Sean Shamany, of county tax-claim operator Northeast Revenue Service LLC, said he is reviewing the matter with his company&#8217;s legal counsel because he wants to ensure prospective buyers are aware of any DEP restriction.</p><p>Bids for the property are set to start at $11,436 in the final-stage, free-and-clear auction, when back taxes and most liens are forgiven.</p><p>Duryea Mayor Keith Moss said he&#8217;s hopeful borough council will consider acquisition of the site, possibly through a land bank, because an outside tax sale bidder may have good intentions but end up doing nothing with the property.</p><p>The borough participates in the blight-targeting North East Pennsylvania Land Bank Authority, which acquires abandoned and eyesore properties so they can be cleaned up and put back in productive hands.</p><p>Once a valued borough employer, the printing business occupied a 49,720-square-foot building that has deteriorated and become a nuisance during Moss&#8217;s 17 years as mayor, with police investigating several break-ins.</p><p>&#8220;It would be good for the tax base if a viable project could be located there,&#8221; Moss said.</p><p><strong>Huber property</strong></p><p>Philadelphia-based Paselo Logistics LLC owns the former Huber Breaker property, which includes a 14.5-acre Ashley tract carrying $138,982 in delinquent taxes dating to 2014 and a 6.7-acre Hanover Township parcel with $16,433 in back taxes for the same period, records show.</p><p>Bids in the free-and-clear sale would start at $6,595 for the Ashley property and $3,713 for the Hanover Township one.</p><p>In response to a DEP filing, a county judge had ordered Paselo to address environmental concerns. Due to Paselo&#8217;s lack of funds, the court order included a requirement to list the property with a Realtor and establish an escrow to cover cleanup costs, according to prior reports.</p><p>The site remains in violation of the DEP and court cleanup orders, Connolly said Thursday.</p><p>&#8220;The status of the property remains the same: there are still piles of waste on the site and some building material left behind after demolition of one of the buildings,&#8221; said Connolly.</p><p>Following a status conference in county court Thursday, it was determined the two Paselo properties will be listed in the auction and that a DEP order remains in effect requiring $150,000 from any sale of the property be placed in escrow for cleanup, Connolly said.</p><p>Shamany said legal counsel also is reviewing this case to determine what disclosures must be made to prospective bidders.</p><p>The property is not fully fenced-in, and borough officials and residents have been closely monitoring the site to keep children out, said Ashley Borough Councilman John Gibbons.</p><p>Borough officials have been exploring the possibility of acquiring the site to ensure it would be developed in the borough&#8217;s best interest, although it would depend on available financial assistance and DEP requirements, Gibbons said. The landlocked borough is one square mile, and he believes the large unused tract is a wasted opportunity.</p><p>&#8220;But we&#8217;re a small borough. We can only do so many projects at one time,&#8221; he said, describing the tract as an ideal location for a mixed commercial and residential development including a senior/community center.</p><p>The April 25 auction also includes a first-stage &#8220;upset sale&#8221; that requires bidders to pay all taxes owed and accept responsibility for any outstanding mortgages and liens. The owners of properties in this batch defaulted on installment payment agreements, Northeast Revenue said.</p><p>The tax-claim operator has opted to hold more frequent auctions to address delinquencies sooner. A listing of the properties appears in Friday&#8217;s Times Leader classified section. Information on registering to bid is available at <a href="http://www.luzernecountytaxclaim.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">www.luzernecountytaxclaim.com</a>. </p><style>
.neFileBlock {
	margin-bottom: 20px;
}
.neFileBlock p {
	margin: 0px 0px 0px 0px;
}
.neFileBlock .neFile {
	border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa;
	padding-bottom: 5px;
	padding-top: 10px;
}
.neFileBlock .neCaption {
	font-size: 85%;
}
</style>
<div class='neFileBlock'>
<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/web1_Luzerne-County-Courthouse.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Luzerne County Courthouse </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/web1_Luzerne-County-Courthouse.jpg</photo0><caption0>Luzerne County Courthouse </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Jennifer Learn-Andes</p><p>jandes@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Jennifer Learn-Andes at 570-991-6388 or on Twitter @TLJenLearnAndes.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Listings released for Luzerne County’s April 25 tax auction