Clarkstown Orders Vacant Homes Cleaned up

The Clarkstown Town Board tonight ordered owners of several vacant residential properties to clean up their overgrown homes.

If the properties are not cleaned up within a five-day grace period, the Town Board has authorized town workers to clean the sites and then attach the bill for the work to the property tax bills for those sites.

The latest clean up orders involve a home at 55 West Burda Place in New City and 4 Hickory Hill Road in Valley Cottage.

Clarkstown laws require property owners to perform basic maintenance tasks, such as cutting back grass and weeds so they do not overtake the property. Most of the properties that are targeted by the town are vacant due to foreclosure or the owners have simply walked away from the property.

Town officials say they attempt to find an owner before having town employees do the work in hopes that the clean up can be done privately.