Renovo’s 14th Street Update: Borough Enters Homes

RENOVO – Renovo Borough government has set up an appeals board as it follows up on its effort to condemn the 14th Street row houses in the lower end of town. There was a new development on Wednesday when an inspector forced his way into a number of the connected units. Borough solicitor Stuart Hall told therecord-online the entries were made as part of a borough action to assess damage as part of the condemnation effort.

Video of the forced entries was taken by a resident and provided WOLF Fox 56 television for its Wednesday night newscast. The entries were carried out with warrants. Matthew McDonald, one of those interviewed by the television station, said, “We had no notification whatsoever.” One of the residents, identified as Johnathen Pagnotto, said, “We’re not going quietly. My daddy raised me better than that.”

The borough had moved against the property in mid-September, initiating a condemnation effort. But the residents were successful in Clinton County Court in early October, after the court determined that Renovo had not followed the letter of the law in its action. Judge Michael Salisbury remanded the case back to the borough which had failed to follow the requirement that the process had to include a 3-member borough board of appeal. The board was established last month and is to hear the 14th Street case later this month.

The resident court appellants, in their court appeal in late September, had noted in their filing their concerns over the unnamed owner of the building section at 155 14th Street. They said they are without any remedy and cannot control the actions of the owner of that row home unit; they want Renovo borough to “take immediate action to remedy the emergency issues, such as the collapse of 155 14th Street.” The unit at that address was one of those entered by the borough on Wednesday of this week.