CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y. – A Canadian property owner has taken the initial steps to rectify numerous housing code violations at a property on Hoerner Avenue that was described in Town documents as a house of squalor.
Property owner Marzan Zannat Maury, of Scarborough, Ontario was issued four violations on March 8th by the Office of Neighborhood Preservation and Fire Safety after Town building inspectors marked the house as temporarily uninhabitable after Cheektowaga Police discovered “squalor conditions” while attending to an unrelated matter.
Cheektowaga Chronicle obtained a copy of the violations through a Freedom of Information Request. The building inspector found unsanitary living conditions due to cat waste, mold, the absence of heat, carbon monoxide hazards, plumbing and electrical deficiencies.
Isfak Islam looks after the property locally for his uncle. He tells Cheektowaga Chronicle it was acquired through an auction a few months ago and the process to rehab the house was about to begin before the events of March 7th.
“It was in really bad shape in general because whoever owned it before did nothing to the house,” said Islam. “That week we bought all the materials and my contractor was ready to go in and fix all the issues in one shot…all this happened.”
Town documents say the house has inadequate electrical connections, inoperative heating equipment and leaking plumbing fixtures that saturated the floors causing deteriorating floors and mold on the floors, walls and ceilings.
Two men lived in the house with over two dozen cats. Inspectors found a buildup of cat feces and urine covering all the surfaces of the home. The house also was found to have carbon monoxide issues due to improper exhaust connections for the water heater and furnace.
Both men were forced to find alternative living accommodations after the order was posted by the Town. Islam said that one of the men has purchased a home of his own. The remaining tenant will be allowed to stay if he wants to, but with restrictions in place.
Islam is coordinating permits and paperwork with Town inspectors to get all the work done by May 1st.
“The target is to make this a brand new home. Brand new flooring, painting, gutters, the painting outside – get everything done. I want to make this a beautiful home. Cheektowaga is known for their beautiful neighborhoods and I going to keep it that way,” added Islam.