MAHANOY CITY — Borough police have filed criminal charges against several property owners who ignored numerous warnings to bring buildings they own up to code.
Chief John Kaczmarczyk charged 12 people — nine with one misdemeanor charge each of public nuisance and recklessly endangering another person, and three others with a misdemeanor charge of public nuisance.
“These people were charged criminally after they repeatedly ignored letters and warnings off of the borough,” Kaczmarczyk said.
The chief said the charges against the 12 are the result of complaints received by the borough code enforcement officer. One case has been ongoing since 2009, another since 2011 and the remaining cases are from 2012, 2013 and 2014.
Kaczmarczyk said that after the complaints were investigated and the properties examined, a notice of violation was sent to the owner outlining the violations and allowing 30 days to correct the problems.
The violations for each property included failure to maintain a clean, safe and sanitary condition and for dangerous structures including partial collapses or other hazards to the general public, Kaczmarczyk said.
After failing to rectify the problems within the allocated 30 days, the chief said each property owner was issued a citation by the code enforcement officer through the office of Magisterial District Judge Anthony J. Kilker, Shenandoah.
Again, Kaczmarczyk said no action was taken by the property owners, resulting in the borough to take matters to the next step. The cases were turned over to the police department, resulting in the filing of the criminal charges.
The nine charged with two offenses and the properties they own in the borough are:
• Robert S. Whitecavage, 61, of 110 E. Penn St., Shenandoah, a property at 513 W. Market St.
• Deborah Whitecavage, 47, of 110 E. Penn St., Shenandoah, a property at 513 W. Market St.
• John F. Scott, 45, of 1873 NE 206th Ave., Old Town, Florida, a property at 728 E. Market St.
• Heather A. Scott, 38, of 1873 NE 206th Ave., Old Town, Florida, a property at 728 E. Market St.
• Ann M. Rainis, 72, 521 W. Washington St., Frackville, a property at 523 E. Pine St.
• Miodrag B. Tirchi, 59, of 779 Lattimer Road, Box 67, Lattimer, a property at 701 E. Centre St.
• Lisa S. McMullin, 47, of Box 394, Meadowview, Virginia, a property at 20 E. South St.
• Ata Richard Zandieh, 32, of 210 Lewis St., Harrisburg, properties at 216 and 218 W. Spruce St.
• Aura I. Santiago, 46, of 313 E. Mine St., Hazleton, a property at 222 W. Mahanoy Ave.
Charged with a sole count of public nuisance were:
• Robert H. Collins, 39, of 38 Duck St., Girardville, a property at 81 S. Catawissa St.
• Elrena L. Gibson, 51, of 36 S. Hoffman Blvd., Ashland, a property at 1031 E. Pine St.
• Anisa L. Kane, 26, of 526 W. South St., Mahanoy City, a property at 421 W. Mahanoy Ave.
Each of those charged criminally will now have to answer those offenses before Kilker in his Shenandoah courtroom.
