[00:00:01]
I'LL CALL TO ORDER THE SPECIAL MAGISTRATE MEETING OF JULY 16TH, 2024, 2025.
[CALL TO ORDER:]
EXCUSE ME. GOING BACK IN TIME. MY NAME IS JAMES BEETLE.DO YOU UNDERSTAND THAT? YES. OKAY. AND I'LL HAVE THE CLERK'S FOR YOU IN.
[SWEARING IN:]
SO CAN YOU PLEASE STAND AND RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND? DO YOU SWEAR TO TELL THE TRUTH, THOUGH? DO YOU SWEAR TO TELL THE TRUTH, THE WHOLE TRUTH. AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH, SO HELP YOU GOD? YES. THANK YOU.[PETITION FOR RELIEF:]
SIR. ALL RIGHT. MY NAME IS NICHOLAS BRIGGS JUNIOR.AND, WE JUST RECENTLY TOOK OVER THE PROPERTY FROM OUR GRANDMOTHER.
JACKIE. JEANETTE. SHE'S BEEN ALONE SINCE 2009 AND HASN'T BEEN ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF IT.
AND WE'VE NOW TAKEN OVER AS A COUPLE MONTHS AGO BECAUSE SHE WAS ABOUT TO LOSE IT.
SO CONTACTED US AND, AND WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON IT SINCE AND WE'VE DONE MORE GRADUAL PROGRESS IN IMPROVING IT, TEARING IT UP, AND EVEN STARTED TO FIX THE AREAS AS NEEDED.
BUT THE GROUNDS HAVE BEEN PRETTY MUCH CLEARED COMPLETELY.
THERE WAS A NUISANCE TO THE WHOLE NEIGHBORHOOD, ESPECIALLY THE ONE NEXT DOOR.
GLORIA, I KNOW LAST NAME, BUT THEY'RE GENERALLY HAPPY WITH YOU KNOW, THE PROGRESS THAT'S GOING ON.
SO I DO LIVE IN NEW JERSEY, AND I COME BACK AND FORTH AS NEEDED, BUT I HAVEN'T.
WELL, EXCUSE ME. LET ME TURN THIS THING OFF. WELL.
THAT'S IT. I'M SORRY. WHO WAS IT, ANYWAY? I, I FORGOT WHAT I WAS.
YOU LIVE IN NEW JERSEY? YEAH. WE'RE GOING BACK AND FORTH FROM NEW JERSEY.
IT'S A TIME IT'LL PROBABLY TAKE ABOUT ANOTHER YEAR BEFORE IT'S COMPLETELY STRAIGHTENED OUT.
I'VE SEALED IT, AND I'M ABLE TO KEEP EQUIPMENT IN THERE SO WE CAN WORK ON THE BUILDING, SO.
BUT THERE'S SO MUCH DEBRIS IN IT THAT WE STILL DON'T KNOW WHERE THE END IS.
SO I'M EVERY DAY I'M. WHEN I'M HERE, I'M HOLDING STUFF AWAY.
YOU KNOW, I HAVE A TRUCK THERE IN A VAN CALLING IT THE FIRST TIME.
I HAVE A 26 FOOT U-HAUL AND HOLD NOT ONLY THE BRANCHES, BUT THE DEBRIS THAT WAS IN THERE.
AND THERE'S STILL A LOT MORE. I DON'T KNOW HOW THE BUILDING GOT INTO THIS MESS.
SO IT'S BASICALLY FOR BEING ABANDONED. OF COURSE, THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS TO A LOT OF BUILDINGS.
AND SO, I MEAN WE'LL HAVE IT LOOKING ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.
EITHER CLEARED INTO A AT LEAST PRESERVE THE GRASS PART AND THE BUILDING YET WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE STATUS IS YET, BUT THERE'S STILL A LOT. WE DIDN'T GO THROUGH THE WHOLE THE MAIN BUILDING ITSELF SINCE WE DID JUST THE FRONT SO FAR.
WE'RE MOVING IN IN FURTHER, AND I'VE TALKED TO THEM, INSPECTOR.
AND HE SAID, ONCE I GET DOWN TO THE STUDS, WE'LL SEE WHAT KIND OF PERMITS WE'RE GOING TO NEED.
SO I BASICALLY LIKE THE HOLES IN THE ROOF. I'M PATCHING.
I'M PUTTING, LIKE SOME KIND OF A RESIN WITH SHEETS AND COVERED UP SO THAT THERE'S NO CONSTRUCTION, JUST COVERING UP. AND IT DOES WORK, AT LEAST FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS ANYWAY.
EITHER CLEARED OR RESTORED TO ITS FORMER ORIGINAL STATE.
OKAY, SO LET ME ASK YOU A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
DOES YOUR GRANDMOTHER STILL LIVE THERE? WHAT? DOES YOUR GRANDMOTHER STILL LIVE THERE? NO, NO, OF COURSE NOW, SHE HASN'T LIVED THERE IN SINCE 2009.
OH, I JUST THOUGHT YOU SAID SHE WAS BY HERSELF SINCE TWO.
OH, SHE'S BY HERSELF. SINCE GRANDFATHER DIED AND WAS STILL PRACTICING THE WAY.
THE WAY YOU'VE DESCRIBED IT IS THAT SHE'S ALONE, NOT THAT SHE'S NOT THERE.
[00:05:01]
SO WHEN'S THE LAST TIME SHE WAS LIVING IN THE HOUSE? I THINK 2009. OKAY. OR EIGHT. SO THE HOUSE HAS BEEN VACANT SINCE 2001.IT'S BEEN PRETTY VACANT. YEAH. SHE'S ACTUALLY 89, 90 YEARS OLD NOW.
NELSON. VALERIE STURGES, CODE COMPLIANCE DIVISION MANAGER.
OH, OKAY. I WAS GOING TO INPUT SOMETHING FOR YOU.
THERE'S LITERALLY A TREE GROWING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FLOOR.
I DON'T CARE ABOUT THAT. THAT'S NOT WHY WE'RE HERE.
ARE WE THERE TO IMPROVE IT? NO NO NO NO, I UNDERSTAND.
I'M JUST SAYING THE REASON WHY WE'RE HERE IS TO REDUCE THE LIENS, WHETHER THERE'S OTHER CODE ISSUES.
THAT'S NOT WHAT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT. I DON'T HAVE ANY AUTHORITY TO TALK ABOUT THOSE THINGS.
ALL RIGHT, SO THAT'S WHY I'M ASKING YOU SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS.
SO I'M JUST TRYING TO GET AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE BACKGROUND, BECAUSE THE WAY YOU WROTE THIS AND THE WAY YOU ORIGINALLY TESTIFIED, IT MADE IT SOUND LIKE YOUR GRANDMOTHER STILL LIVED THERE, BUT YOU'VE BEEN LIVING ALONE SINCE 2009.
THAT WAS. I UNDERSTAND, THAT'S WHY I ASKED THE QUESTION. WHAT DO YOU ESTIMATE YOU'VE EXPENDED AS FAR AS THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE SO FAR? WELL, BASICALLY IT'S YOU KNOW, WORK, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NO HAVEN'T YET PURCHASED ANY OTHER.
I DID BUY A FEW GALLONS OF PAINT TO TO COVER THE I USE AN OLD METHOD BACK IN THERE 100 YEARS WHERE THEY USE SHEETS AND YOU COVER IT WITH PAINT, AND THAT'S I DON'T I DON'T NEED TO KNOW ALL OF THAT STUFF.
I'M JUST ASKING YOU THE SIMPLE QUESTION, SO. SO.
BUT YOU ALSO, YOU ALSO INDICATED YOU HAVE SOMEBODY WORKING ON THE HOUSE WHILE YOU'RE NOT HERE.
ARE YOU? IS HE DOING IT FOR FREE? NO, OF COURSE I'M PAYING HIM.
WELL, THAT'S WHAT I'M ASKING YOU. HOW MUCH HAVE YOU EXPENDED? $1,000 A WEEK. EASY.
YEAH. FOR HOW MANY WEEKS? SINCE I I WISH I'D KNOWN YOU WOULDN'T BE ASKING.
I COULD DO THE CALCULATION. I HAVE AT LEAST EIGHT, EIGHT WEEKS ALREADY.
READY? EIGHT WEEKS. OKAY. I MEAN, I WRITE IT DOWN.
OKAY. THAT'S FINE. I JUST I JUST WANT AN ESTIMATE AS TO WHAT THEY'RE SPENDING.
WHENEVER. IT'S LIKE IT'S CUTTING THE GRASS RIGHT NOW. MR. BEETLE, HE ALSO PAID THE NUISANCE LIENS THAT WERE ON THE PROPERTY THAT WERE NOT ELIGIBLE TO COME BEFORE YOU.
DO YOU REMEMBER HOW MUCH THOSE WERE TAKEN? THERE WAS.
WHERE'S THAT LITTLE PIECE OF PAPER? YOU KNOW, BECAUSE YOU KNOW THAT IT WAS ATTACHED TO THAT.
IT DOESN'T HAVE DIDN'T. THAT WAS JUST THESE. NOT THOSE.
THERE'S A BIG PILE. MR.. YOU YOU PAID THE CITY'S FOR SOME OTHER FINES THAT HAD TO BE PAID OFF? I THINK SO. THE ONLY ONE THAT'S HOW MUCH DID YOU PAY? JUST ANSWER MY QUESTION, PLEASE. OKAY. DO YOU REMEMBER HOW MUCH YOU PAID TO GET RID OF THOSE LIENS? SO FAR, I PAID 10,000, I THINK. YEAH, 10,000 TO GET RID OF THE LIENS THAT WERE ALREADY ON THE PROPERTY.
10,000 BACK TAXES THAT I MADE AGAIN. ALL I'M ASKING.
ANY LIENS YET? NO, I DID NOT PAY. BUT HE SAYS YOU HAVE.
SO THAT'S WHY I'M ASKING YOU HOW MUCH YOU PAY.
I DON'T KNOW IF I PAY. I DON'T REMEMBER. ALL I KNOW IS A PAID BACK TAXES.
IT WAS CLOSE TO $2,800. OKAY. OH, YEAH. THAT'S.
I FORGOT ABOUT THAT ONE. LIKE, IT WAS JUST THE NUISANCE LIENS THAT YOU HAD TO PAY BEFORE YOU CAME.
RIGHT. OKAY. I PAID THAT. ALL RIGHT. OKAY. WHAT'S THE CITY'S POSITION? VALERIE STURGIS, CODE COMPLIANCE DIVISION MANAGER.
ALL OF THESE CASES BEFORE US EXCEPT FOR 1504409 ARE ALL CASES.
THAT MONEY WAS SPENT BY THE CITY TO MAINTAIN THE PROPERTY.
THE TOTAL FOR. EXCUSE ME, THE TOTAL FOR. OUT OF POCKET WAS $4,585. THIS IS BEING REQUESTED TO BE REIMBURSED.
WE'RE ONLY ASKING FOR AN ADDITIONAL $750 ADMINISTRATIVE FEES TO COVER THE 14 CASES.
NOT PER CASE, BUT JUST IN CASE. JUST THAT'S GOING TO TAKE CARE OF THE LAST CASE.
15044 WE'RE JUST ASKING FOR THE ADMIN COST. OKAY.
SO YOU UNDERSTAND THE CITY'S POSITION. DO YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH IT?
[00:10:02]
NO. OKAY. BECAUSE THE TOTAL WOULD BE. 52, 53, 35, I BELIEVE.DO YOU HAVE A PROBLEM PAYING THAT? NO. OKAY. THEN THE ORDER WILL SAY 30 DAYS FROM TODAY.
OKAY. OKAY. SO THE TOTAL. I HAVE TO PAY AGAIN.
ALL RIGHT. THAT'S IT. THAT'S IT. ALL OTHER LIENS.
NO. THEY WON'T BE GONE UNTIL YOU PAY. AND THE CITY FILES A SATISFACTION OR RELEASE OF THE LIEN.
OKAY. ALL RIGHT. I KNOW THERE'S THE WATER AND TRASH I HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF.
I'VE TALKED TO THEM. YEP. THAT'S JUST FOR THE CODE.
YES. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. YES, SIR.
HAVE A GOOD DAY. ALL RIGHT. THAT'S IT. WE'RE FREE.
OKAY. WE'LL HAVE TO LET ME SHOW YOU. YEAH. ALL RIGHT.
OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OKAY. YEAH. IN ORDER TO CONTINUE THE SECOND CASE SINCE NO ONE APPEARED.
OKAY. DO YOU WANT ME TO READ IN THESE CASE NUMBERS? JUST FOR THE RECORD? OKAY. HIS CASE NUMBERS WERE 6323.
TWO. THREE. THREE. FIVE. FIVE. 2222960. 22220632.
717615161. 725015 AND 15044. ZERO NINE.
AT 837. CIRCLE NORTHEAST. AND THEN OUR SECOND CASE.
CEB 2505424 AT 2572. HARBOR HILL ROAD NORTHEAST.
IT IS NOT PRESENT. IN AN ORDER CONTINUING THAT AND I SIGNED THE MINUTES FROM THE LAST MEETING.
AND I HAD NO FURTHER BUSINESS. THE MEETING IS ADJOURNED AT 128.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.