Council mulls solutions after inferno burns abandoned homes, listed for sale at exorbitant price
KAYLEE LINDENMUTH / SHENANDOAH SENTINEL - Flames engulf a triplex on West Poplar Street in Shenandoah on Jan. 16, 2025.
SHENANDOAH – Borough council raised concerns Monday after three derelict buildings listed for sale by a New York company burned last week.
An inferno consumed three homes at 426, 424, and 422 West Poplar Street Thursday morning. No injuries were reported.
The homes are owned by Elite Realty, LLC, of Yonkers, New York and were listed for sale as a package deal for $132,000, a massive increase from the $48,900 they sold for in 2023. They were de-listed the next day.
The homes were blighted and had no apparent renovations done to justify the price hike. The listing touted a $44,000 per building price. As of Friday morning, a move-in ready house is listed for sale at $49,900 across the street from the fire.
“I don’t know how you could sell a building for $132,000 when it’s condemned,” Council President Joe Boris said, asking Shane Hobbs, borough solicitor, if the borough could require fire insurance in certain cases. “It’s not fair to the people that live maybe three houses up and they could be burned out.”
Hobbs said it’s an issue across northeastern Pennsylvania, when fires occur and owners are absent.
“You could, at least for rental units, ask on a yearly basis for their annual certification for their occupancy permits,” Hobbs said.
Hobbs said that there have been constitutional claims raised against municipalities requiring insurance for all properties.
“I don’t see any harm in asking for it, adopting an ordinance to ask for it,” Hobbs said. “Is everyone going comply? Probably not. You can only enforce it so much but I think its a step in trying to get people in compliance to make sure they have insurance.”
“When a place goes down in flames and there’s no insurance and we get stuck with it,” Hobbs said.
Numerous abandoned properties in town have been left to rot following fires, including the former United Wiping Cloth factory. A triplex on South Grant Street collapsed into the alleyway after ten years of abandonment following a fire.
Regarding the blaze, Council Vice President Mike “Zeckie” Uholik commended the fire department’s response.
“Chief [Rick] Examitas and his crew did a fantastic job,” Uholik said.
Councilwoman Diane Korenda questioned Councilman Joe Gawrylik, chair of the infrastructure committee, on why the department had water supply issues.
Secretary/Treasurer Mike Cadau said Aqua Pennsylvania reported that there was too much demand on one water main and that one fire hydrant failed.
“That’s scary when you can’t get enough water,” Korenda said.
“They’re in charge of it,” Gawrylik said referring to Aqua.
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