Thread: Hazleton council considers reopening landlords ordinance

Hazleton council considers reopening landlords ordinance
BY L.A. TARONE
STAFF WRITER
08/20/2007

Hazleton City Council may reopen the landlords ordinance in an effort to make it tougher.


Last summer, council enacted a tougher landlords ordinance than it originally passed. But it was struck down, along with the Illegal Immigration Relief Act, by federal Judge James Munley.

So the city is operating on the original one passed in 2004.

At least some council members and Mayor Lou Barletta do not believe it is tough enough.

Wednesday night, council heard from a handful of residents who had horror stories about properties in their neighborhoods. All of them were owned by the same firm — Hazleton Homes, which is listed as having two addresses, one on Cleveland Street, the other on Amarillo Drive in Nanuet, N.Y.

Complaints centered on houses on East Spruce Street, West Green Street, South Pine Street and Kiefer Avenue in the Heights. Bruce Dziak, who lives a block from Kiefer Avenue, said he’d seen tenants being sneaked into the house in the middle of the night and that his house has been infested with mice and bugs from the home.

“I lost $200 in food alone,â€

Wednesday night, council heard from a handful of residents who had horror stories about properties in their neighborhoods. All of them were owned by the same firm — Hazleton Homes,

Tear them a new orifice by fining and closing them down.

Originally Posted by zeezil

Wednesday night, council heard from a handful of residents who had horror stories about properties in their neighborhoods. All of them were owned by the same firm — Hazleton Homes,

Tear them a new orifice by fining and closing them down.

I Agree, rip'em wide open!

Surely they have some zoning laws - and surely these people are breaking those laws. Why don't they just use what they have. It will start the ball rolling.