Judge gives E. Williston okay to demolish house

Richard Tedesco

Nassau Supreme Court Judge James McCormack ruled on Monday morning that the Village of East Williston can proceed with long-standing plans to demolish a dilapidated house at 8 Sumter Ave.

McCormack told Theresa Muzio, one of the house’s owners and her son John Muzio Jr. during a hearing that they would have 45 days, until July 28, to remove any personal belongings from the house.  

“Clearly, just from the photos alone, by any standards the house is unsafe,” McCormack said. “There are holes in the roof and snow in the house. I can’t imagine this house being habitable by any human beings.”

McCormack referred to photographs taken during an inspection by Dean Koutsoubis, an engineer retained by the village, on Feb. 18 after the Muzios blocked two previous attempts to inspect the premises in January.

McCormack then asked the Muzios if there had been any inspection of the property subsequent to the village’s February inspection. 

Theresa Muzio said there had not been.

McCormack also asked if the Muzios had a contract of sale on the house.

 “There’s been talk,” Theresa Muzio replied

“Is there more than talk?” McCormack asked.

“We had a contract. But Mr. Blinkoff interferred with it,” Muzio said, referring to East Williston village attorney Jeffey Blinkoff.

The abandoned house at 8 Sumter Ave. has been a source of recurrent complaints from residents for several years over health, safety and aesthetic concerns, including the presence of raccoons living in the home.

Theresa Muzio said she had received no letters from the village building inspector and that the building had never been found unsafe.

“Multiple inspections of the house show that it is unsafe,” McCormack responded. 

McCormack said he had seen current and previous inspection reports on the house. 

Muzio also said she had not received the February inspection report, but  Blinkoff said he had sent copies to both Muzio and her husband, John. 

Blinkoff said that despite an attempt to foreclose on the property the village wanted to move ahead with its plans to demolish the house.

“That home is unsafe,” Blinkoff said during the court hearing. The East Williston Fire Department had even issued an order stating that its members could not enter the house, he said.

“There’s no representation that there has been any action to make the property safe,” he said. “If the property was to be sold, we wouldn’t be here. But there hasn’t been action.”

John Muzio Jr., who represented his father at the hearing, said village officials had violated their own local laws by not properly inspecting the house and also omitting other notifications he said they were obliged to give his parents.

“I’m satisfied that whatever objections you expressed have been answered,” McCormack said.

In his most recent inspection report, McCormack said, Koutsoubis found that the property’s condition “had deteriorated since his inspection in 2010” when the village first began its legal battle with the Muzios over the abandoned house.

Blinkoff had previously secured a court order granting the village the right to refurbish or destroy the house. 

But the village had delayed action last year when Mineola-based BNL Construction co-owners Bruno and Luigi Calleo expressed interest in acquiring the property 

The Callelos 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 has said in recent months he and his brother were hoped 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.

As McCormack declared he was giving the Muzios 45 days to prepare for the house’s demolition, Theresa Muzio tried to interrupt him but was rebuffed by the judge.

“In making a decision, I’m not going to argue anymore,” he said. “I’m done talking on any objections you may make.”

As he accompanied his mother out of the courtroom, John Muzio Jr. said his parents would appeal the judge’s decision.

Blinkoff announced the court decision at Monday night’s village board meeting, drawing expressions of satisfaction from village officials.

“We’re very pleased. It’s long overdue,” Village of East Williston Mayor David Tanner said.

East Williston Deputy Mayor Bonnie Parente said “I’m looking forward to having this resolved for the sake of our residents.”  

Last October, the East Williston village board approved a bid of $28,500 from East Williston-based J Galvin Construction to demolish the house.

Share this Article