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Executor, city and bank discuss cleanup at foreclosed Norwalk property; assessment reaches $21,600
Summary
At a Norwalk City hearing, an attorney representing the estate of Dominic Botticelli described foreclosure activity and cleanup work at 43 Bow Street. Code enforcement reported a blight assessment of $21,600 on the property, discussed recording a lien and said fines continue to accrue until violations are corrected.
An attorney representing the executor of a deceased owner told Norwalk City code-enforcement staff on April 1 that foreclosure activity and intermittent cleanup work have taken place at a property identified as 43 Bow Street.
Attorney Pelletreau said he is representing the estate and that foreclosure proceedings have been active; the bank named in hearing comments was Wells Fargo and foreclosure work was associated with law firm Brock & Scott. Christine Cassidy, a paralegal handling the file for Pelletreau's office, told the hearing the bank had not responded to notices forwarded by the estate and that the house had been in active foreclosure. Pelletreau said two parties had expressed interest in buying the property.
Code-enforcement staff said the current blight assessment on 43 Bow Street stands at $21,600 (the hearing record described that figure as “21,600, minus the 900 that you requested”). Staff noted the property at times was vacant and that the bank or its contractors had done some cleanup, including removal of a vehicle and partial demolition of an outbuilding. Staff observed that a tarp covered a portion of the roof and that some debris remained.
During the hearing staff discussed enforcement options. One staff member recommended recording a municipal lien against the property; others noted that recording a lien can slow a foreclosure because it adds another defendant to that court process. Staff said the fines will continue to accrue under the local ordinance until the violations are corrected and noted that, if the property is cleaned and then later re-offends, a separate assessment period could begin at a higher per-day rate under the newer ordinance.
Attorney Pelletreau and his team said they had difficulty locating and notifying heirs and that probate and title issues had complicated estate administration. Pelletreau said the probate process and a pending default by a named defendant in the foreclosure could affect the timing of any sale or transfer.
City staff said they will prepare a decision for the city law department to consider recording a lien and to determine next steps in enforcement. Staff also said they would continue to monitor the property and that fines will remain on the property record until violations are remedied.
No formal court action was taken at the hearing; staff described next steps as administrative: filing enforcement documentation with the city law department and continuing inspections.
