An abandoned Throggs Neck home has fallen into utter disrepair, and neighbors have finally made enough noise to get a cleanup started.
The three-story house at 253 Huntington Avenue, on the corner of Lawton Avenue, has been left to rot for approximately a year.The property’s most egregious physical characteristic has been the overabundance of weeds growing five to ten feet out of its front and side yards, as well as the sidewalk, forcing pedestrians into the street.
The icing on the cake is an abandoned, stripped-down car in the home’s back yard.
“Oh my God,” said Angela Loverro, who has lived on Lawton Avenue for 47 years. “I have to walk in the middle of the street,” while strolling through the neighborhood.
The cleanup process began on Tuesday, August 16, when Councilman Jimmy Vacca led a crew from the city Department of Sanitation to clear away the weeds.
“I had to do something quick to at least clear up the exterior,” said Vacca. “It’s made a big difference.”
The house was last sold in 2007 for $495,000, according to real estate website Trulia.com.
The property is currently for sale through Coldwell Banker Gumbo Realty. Its broker did not return calls.
The primary owner of the building is listed as Felix Medina, and it currently has a lis pendens filed against it, which is usually a pre cursor to foreclosure. A foreclosure may be pending.
Should a foreclosure take place, the bank that takes over the property would be responsible for its cleanup.
Senator Jeff Klein contacted the lending institution in hopes of having the property cleaned up.
“We reached out to the holder of the loan, Nationstar Mortgage LLC, and asked for them to tend to the property,” said Klein.“They indicated that an inspection crew will be sent to the site this week. I’m hopeful the potentially dangerous conditions are quickly fixed.”
