By David Avitabile
MIDDLEBURGH - Get your last looks at the "Chalet" in Middleburgh.
Middleburgh village officials Monday night approved a bid to remove the two-story wooden building. Mayor Tim Knight said the demolition should take place in the next two to three weeks.
The village received five bids for the demolition. The bids were opened Friday.
Village board members approved a bid from MSL Construction for $31,000 to demolish the building and backfill the lot.
The other bids were from: Jackson Demolition for $37,900 for demolition and backfill, Dan's Hauling & Demo for $45,800 for demolition and backfill, Valley Restoration & Construction for $59,184.29 for demolition and backfill, and Schoenecker Construction for $75,000 for demolition.
Officials agreed to take the funds out of savings account that will be replenished over five years.
The lot will be leveled to street leveled and paved next year for parking.
Mayor Knight did note that officials have to watch for a passageway for high water to the creek on the property.
A meeting will be held with neighbors on Railroad Avenue in the near future.
Until the building is taken down, the Middleburgh Fire Department may use it for exterior exercises. Mayor Knight noted that the rear of the building is sagging and dangerous.
At the July meeting, Mayor Knight said a report had been released on the asbestos findings for the building.
Trace amounts of asbestos were found, a negative determination for the chemical. The amounts were not enough to warrant a positive result or abatement. The village had to let contractors know the findings.
In early June, Mayor Knight announced that the village officially owned 111 Railroad Avenue, affectionately known as the "chalet."
The process to take ownership of the building did not happen overnight and many people had a hand in the work, Mayor Knight said.
"Many, many folks deserve credit for the Village taking ownership of this condemned structure, including Village Trustee Kevin Young, Code Enforcement Officer Rick Fink, and Village Attorney Fred Mauhs."
In the spring, papers were sent to the most recent owners, Full Moon Dry Cleaners in Patchogue, Long Island, and the prior owners, DTH Roe Inc. of Austin, Texas. DTH supposedly held a $34,000 mortgage on the abandoned property.
Village officials noted that the companies could be "shell companies" set up to move money around.
Village board members in October agreed to moved forward to take ownership of the property for the purpose of demolition. The 2025 village budget includes $4,000 for litigation to purchase the building.
Village officials have tried, and failed, to contact the owners of the building.
The building has been abandoned and been owned by absentee landlords for years. It is now home to pigeons, other animals and human intruders. The building, which was a dry goods and mercantile store 100 years ago, was the subject of a Mountain Eagle Forgotten Schoharie County feature last summer.
Last summer, Mr. Fink told board members that he has issued violations, to no avail.
It was noted that the property is sometimes listed in Zillow for sale and is quickly sold to someone (or some business) outside the area.
The building is currently owned by a dry cleaning company out of Patchogue, Long Island. The corporation, Full Moon Dry Cleaners LLC, located on 25 East Patchogue-Yaphank Road in Patchogue, Long Island, has owned it since January 2022. The deed was filed in April 2022 with a purchase price of $60,000, according to the Schoharie County Real Property Tax office. The office "red flagged" the sale because of the purchase price. Attempts to contact the company have been fruitless.
In addition to the Mountain Eagle's attempts to contact Full Moon Dry Cleaners, the Village of Middleburgh has sent the owners tax bills and other letters for over two years. All have gone unanswered. The county Real Property Tax Office has reported that the 2023 town and county and 2022 school tax bills are delinquent. Water and sewer bills also are not being paid.
The wooden two-story building (with an attic), which has been nicknamed "the chalet" by some local residents because of its trim and siding, has had several owners over the past 20 years.
Before being purchase by the Full Moon Dry Cleaners (no phone number listed), which filed the deed in April 2022, it was owned by DTH Roe Inc. of Austin, Texas. DTH Roe bought the building from Deutsche Bank National Trust Company of West Palm Beach Florida (and a post office box in Texas) in February 2017. Deutsche Bank bought it from Gerald Morales in April, 2016, according to the county Real Property Tax Office. Mr. Morales purchased it from Snyder Proper LLC, which was incorporated in October 1998.The oldest deed for the building is listed as Albert Bliss in the early 1900s from Carr Sheldon for the lot off of Sheldon Avenue. Members of the Bliss family said the property was deeded to Frank Bliss in 1895 and was in the Snyder family until 2005.
The building served as a dry goods and mercantile store for many years, selling Pillsbury Flour among other items on a dirt street.
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