City of Cortland Orders Demolition of Vacant Groton Ave. Property After Owner Fails to Maintain Building

Neighbors are breathing a sigh of relief after the Common Council voted to order the demolition of a long vacant building at 169-171 Groton Ave. in the City of Cortland. The brown house has sat vacant on the corner of Groton Ave. and Forrest Ave. for over 15 years.

According to the City of Cortland Administrative Code, any building or structure that is deemed dangerous or unfit for occupancy will be considered illegal and a nuisance. City of Cortland Code Enforcement has inspected the property and have declared the building to be dangerous to the public; X101 News learned the mold inside the building was one of the determining factors.

The City of Cortland had sent a notice of violation back on May 7th to the property owner to remedy the property. The notice gave the property owner what remedies must be addressed and warned if they are not met within 30 days, the City of Cortland will use its right to demolish the building.

The property owner, the E. Paul Mosbo Trust, who resides in Oswego County, was served the violation notice by members of the Oswego County Sheriff’s Office; the owner never responded to the notice and failed to take any action.

With this, there was no other option but to demolish the vacant house. The cost to demolish and remove the materials from the site billed to the property owner in Oswego. Residents can expect the demolition to take place in the coming days.