Local resident Mark Paradowski tells the story of his frustrating efforts to buy a house from the City of Buffalo Real Estate department. The house is located in the Lovjoy neighborhood at 100 Wood Avenue . Mark grew up on the street and had a friend who once lived in the house. He says the street is still very densely built with only a couple of houses missing. The house he would like to buy and renovate is not an architectural masterpiece but looks to be in good condition with a relatively new roof, straight lines, and lots of original detail intact. It is an integral part of a close-knit neighborhood which is still viable but in danger of slipping into the devastation that has engulfed much of the east side. Saving a house like this can be an important and powerful step in stopping the downward slide. Apparently the City of Buffalo does not agree.
Mark’s story from a post on Facebook :
Our city hard at work
This house, occupied continuously for 90 years, sat under city control for three years without hitting the tax auction. Suddenly, it appeared only to be struck to the city for demolition. It then sat two more years untended.
I submitted paperwork that I was interested to buy it in June. I was told a walk-thru was required. No one appeared to let me in. I requested and was given another walk through time in July, no one from the city appeared again. My third walk-thru was supposed to be this afternoon. Instead, the city sent a demolition crew to the house this morning.
They are currently performing asbestos abatement and I can no longer enter the property. If nothing else changes, it will be a hole in the ground by Monday. New roof, no structural problems, dry basement, even curtains up in the living room.
Mark goes on to say:
I handed in a form and financials…they took a photocopy of them but said they couldn’t accept the form until I produced a re-hab plan after my walk-thru. At which point they would still have to give me a purchase price to see if I was interested, as I’m not eligible for the $1 program and they won’t put it into auction.
Now they claim they don’t have financials and never heard of my previous walk-thru attempts. I was told that my walk-thru is canceled, and that I should have acted sooner. I was also told that if I find another house I’m interested in, be sure to give them a call. I almost jumped through the phone at that one.
I haven’t been working with a lawyer, this is just a house on my old street that was too nice to see lost so I’ve been trying to help.
In a further message to me, Mark noted that he has been in contact with Bryan Bollman in Councilman Fontana’s office to express his concerns with the city’s process (or should we call it a non-process). Mark still has hopes of buying the house and saving it. He says Fontana’s office has been responsive but has received no new news on the property’s status.
In addition to contacting Fontana’s office Mark says that he had correspondence with Commissioner Commerford. Here is the alleged response from Commerford:
Mark,
Unfortunately, it was released by real estate for demolition. You do not own the property and consequently, we have to adhere to the demolition process. You’re failure to contact the Real Estate department is not sufficient reason for stopping the demo at this point.
Jim Comerford
Mark is an upstanding person. I believe his story is told without exaggeration. If so, this is the kind of outrage that is entirely inexcusable. Buffalo’s amazing recent rejuvenation is being born on the back of its historic buildings and neighborhoods. Here we have a young energetic person who wants to invest in Buffalo’s valuable and irreplaceable historic resources and the City’s response is to throw mud in his face? The city real estate department is notorious for this kind of mismanagement. How long before this is no longer tolerated at City Hall? How is this justified?
Every city resident should be outraged that the city is allegedly choosing to use tax dollars for a demolition instead of a renovation and new tax revenue.
Wood Street block party