Resident tells council neighbor's wall and pool work harmed his property; attorney says processes differ

Ronald Bogle, a Hawthorne resident, used the council public-comment period Aug. 20 to urge the borough to enforce building and permitting rules after a neighbor installed a retaining wall and pool that he says damaged his property.

Bogle described the dispute as years long and said he believes the contractor used a landscaper's permit where a building or engineering permit should have been required for the retaining wall. "When they reissued the permit, it was a landscaper's permit... when you demolish, repair, or change anything on that wall, you need engineering," Bogle said, and he told the council his equity in his house has been harmed.

Municipal Attorney Michael Pasquale responded that the speaker was "mixing two different processes" and noted he was not the code official for appeals. Mayor Lane said the problem predates his term and indicated the borough is aware of paperwork and appeals connected to the property. The exchange included a request by Bogle for a clearer explanation of what happened at an appeal and who was present; Pasquale said he was not at the appeal but had seen the related report.

The council did not take immediate enforcement action during the meeting. Bogle urged further review and said he would provide documentation; Pasquale and the mayor said the borough would follow up through the appropriate administrative channels rather than during the open council session.

The public portion was then closed and the council proceeded to other business.