Vacant Bayport Home Poses Safety Hazard, Say Neighbors

The dilapidated condition of a Middle Road home in Bayport has neighbors asking for Islip Town’s help but bureaucratic limitations may prove to be a tough obstacle.

The home at 637 Middle Road, just east of the Bayport Avenue and Middle Road intersection, is a vacant boarded up residence clearly in decay given rotting wood, overgrown foliage and evidence of attempted vandalism.

According to one neighbor, the home was abandoned about 10 years ago and efforts by the town to clean up and secure the property have taken place. But the increasing safety hazards presented, and the overall appearance are prompting neighbors to push for more town action.

“It looks like it’s ready to fall down, and the rodent and raccoon infestation has some neighbors putting traps in their own yards to protect their children,” one neighbor told Patch in a phone interview this week.

“We need something to be done because someone could get hurt and it’s a blight that will hurt us if we ever decide to sell our home.”

But according to town officials, knocking down the house or even further security actions at the property are challenging as the taxes are being paid by the owners, Ruth and Timothy Sanford, who, according to land deed information, have owned the home since 1959.

Islip officials acknowledge that there has been a long history of dealing with the abandoned home, beginning back in 2006 when the town boarded up it up and exterminated raccoons. 

In March, 2009 the town boarded up a window and did a property cleanup. In April, 2010 the town demolished a front porch and chimney and in 2011 it secured a rear window and boarded up a large hole.

This year, in June, the town was once again back on the property to secure a window and put a lock on the door.

All the building and property work was billed to the homeowner as part of the town tax process and was paid for. That, and the fact that the homeowners are up to date on tax payments, limits what the town can do, say officials.

If the home owners fall behind on property taxes the town would have more leverage to take further action, such as condemnation or taking ownership.

“Properties may stand vacant for indefinite amounts of time as long as the property owner adequately maintains the property.  If not, the town comes in and cleans up, boards up, etc. and charges that bill as a special assessment back on the tax bill,” stated a town spokesperson in an email to Patch.