Village of East Williston Attorney Jeffrey Blinkoff said Monday that a potential buyer of a property at 8 Sumter Ave. that has been a consistent source of resident complaints in recent years is expected to finalize the property’s purchase before the end of the year.
“This is as close as its ever been” Blinkoff said.
Blinkoff said that the buyers of the property do not intend to demolish the dilapidated house at 8 Sumter Ave. but intend to renovate instead.
He said that it was not determined that the property was beyond repair.
“Ultimately that is their decision,” Blinkoff said. “Hopefully that is good news.”
Village of East Williston Mayor David Tanner said that before the buyer is able to submit plans to the building inspector for renovations the current property has to be made “water tight.”
“The property needs to be made safe,” Tanner said.
The house has been a source of recurrent complaints from residents over health, safety and aesthetic concerns, including the presence of raccoons living in the home.
In September, Blinkoff received a copy of a signed order from Nassau Supreme Court Judge James McCormack giving the village permission to raze the house.
The order, which Blinkoff said he drafted for the judge’s signature, affirmed a ruling McCormack issued in a June 9 hearing to permit the village to demolish the Sumter Avenue house. At the time, McCormack gave the house’s owners, John and Theresa Muzio, 45 days until July 28 to remove their personal belongings from the house.
Blinkoff said he was also contacted in September by an attorney who said he represented the Muzios and an attorney who said he represented a buyer seeking to purchase the house and the property.
He said both attorneys said there was a contract of sale in place for the property with the Muzio’s attorney indicating that a closing would take place in a few weeks. The buyer’s attorney, Blinkoff said, told him the buyer was willing to close within days.
“The buyer’s attorney is very anxious to get this done,” Blinkoff said in September.
A previously scheduled auction of the property scheduled for September was cancelled.
The Muzios have repeatedly said they had a deal in place to sell the property.
Blinkoff had earlier secured a court order granting the village the right to refurbish or destroy the house.
But the village delayed action last year when Mineola-based BNL Construction co-owners Bruno and Luigi Calleo expressed interest in acquiring the property.
The Calleos dropped plans to purchase the home after failing to get a variance from the village planning board to subdivide the property to allow two houses to be built on the property.
Luigi Calleo said in recent months he and his brother were hoping to purchase the property to construct a single house on it, but said his company had been unable to strike a deal with the Muzios.
In September, Theresa Muzio said the buyer in contract to purchase the property is not a developer.
One resident asked Blinkoff Monday if the buyer could be related to Muzios.
“I have no reason to believe that,” he said.
Reach reporter Bryan Ahrens by e-mail at bahrens@theislandnow.com or by phone at 516.307.1045 x204. Also follow us on Twitter @theislandnow and Facebook at facebook.com/theislandnow.
