City cleans up properties, charges owners

• Fifty-nine Newark property owners owe $42,803 in tax liens for property maintenance violations.
• The city has made about 2,000 property inspections this year following up on complaints.

NEWARK — Fifty-nine Newark property owners face tax liens for property maintenance violations.

The Newark City Council's Service Committee approved certifying $42,803 in tax liens with the Licking County auditor. The full council will consider the legislation in a first reading Monday night and possibly a second reading Oct. 19.

The tax liens include fines for violations the owner did not correct and fees for work the city performed, such as cutting grass, picking up trash and boarding up windows. The work was performed in 2014.

The largest lien is $5,215 for an abandoned property owned by Patricia Holsinger at 110 S. Fourth St. that burned and was since torn down.

Three other property owners were charged in excess of $1,500. Deborah Fowler owes $1,648 for property at 24 Forry Ave., David Stout owes $1,545 for property at 227 N. Fifth St., and Nancy Mautz owes $2,060 for properties at 28 Forry Ave. and 32 Forry Ave.

The streets with the most violations were South Fifth and South Sixth streets with four each, followed by Forry Street with three.

The city does not target a specific area, but only responds to complaints, said Code Official Joe Paul, who has been on the job more than four years.

"I do think our work done in the past makes people more aware, but a lot of (the response) is when people look at their neighbors and are fed up. That's when we get a lot of phone calls," Paul said.

Paul said the city has performed about 2,000 inspections this year following up on complaints. The city may bring the list of property owners and tax liens to the council quarterly in the future instead of twice a year.

Other property owners who owe at least $1,000 on the list are: Harmon Davis; Terrian Paxson and Diana Colburn; NJR Landholdings Inc.; Lee Zimmerman; Richard and Cathy Sands; Shaner Rental Corp.; Jeremy and Echo Woodward; Waye Lehoe Jr.; and Ziehers Property Management LLC.

Also, Gary Jenkins; David Trubee; Paul and Gloria Morrison; Jerry Steele.; Borner Inc.; Ray Wortman; David and Sherry Griffith; Pensco Trust Co. custodian; Watcap Investment Co.; Anita and MJ Luckeydoo; United Refrigeration Service Inc.; and Jerry Joseph and Jeannette Price.

kmallett@newarkadvocate.com

740-328-8545

Twitter: @kmallett1958