County will seize dilapidated St. Lawrence Hotel
by Matt Guardino, Times Staff Writer
First published: Monday, May 19, 2003
WADDINGTON - St. Lawrence County will seize the decrepit St. Lawrence
Hotel for nonpayment of taxes so a nonprofit group can restore the downtown landmark.
"This is getting rid of a real problem," county Treasurer Robert O. McNeil said
Friday. "The building is in terrible shape."
The long-abandoned Main Street property carries close to $27,500 in tax
liability over the last three years.
This summer, Mr. McNeil will present lawmakers with a resolution signalling the county's
intent to take over the hotel from Maryland-based REO Management, wipe out the back taxes
and sell it to the village for $1.
However, under county law the owner of record - in this case, REO - has the right to redeem the property by paying its tax bill until 5 p.m. the Friday before the county's annual auction of tax-delinquent property, which is the first Saturday in October.
Assuming REO lets that deadline pass - which appears likely - the property will go to the village, which then will sell it to the nonprofit Clark House Preservation for $1.
Normally, because of liability fears, the county does not seize tax-delinquent parcels that have serious structural, safety or environmental problems. "If it wasn't for this group's interest and the village's interest, the county wouldn't be foreclosing on it," Mr. McNeil said.
But in recent years, the county has teamed with municipal and nonprofit leaders in Potsdam, Heuvelton and elsewhere to get many of these properties fixed up or converted to productive uses - as long as there is interest and funding at the local level to make it happen. "We are having increasing success working with local communities," Mr. McNeil said. "The desire is to have the parcel be rehabilitated and not be an eyesore."
In an odd twist, Clark House recently bought the St. Lawrence Hotel from REO for $1,500. However, because the group has decided not to file the deed with the county clerk's office, REO is still the legal owner and is responsible for the taxes.
"Right now, we're kind of sitting on the deed. It's in kind of a weird state of limbo," said Massena attorney Thomas J. Snider, who is working with the group. "The deed that we have provides us the opportunity to work on it in the meantime, and also protects Clark House and the Waddington community, to know that this property will be rehabilitated. We've covered our bases on all fronts."
Stabilizing the hotel before next winter is Clark House's immediate goal,
Mr. Snider said. Such an effort is expected to cost around $100,000, and the residents
group is raising money for the project through private donations and grants.
Mr. McNeil will brief the county Board of Legislators Finance Committee on Monday about
plans for the St. Lawrence Hotel.
"The purpose is to let the board know that this is in the process, in case they have a problem with that," he said. "If they have a problem, I guess we'll have to do something different."
Used with permission