Yesterday, I received this email from a former Pottstown homeowner/resident of over 20 years. It is the personal story of unnecessary loss and hardship that is tragically replicated every single day in this community…
I just wanted to let you know that after 21 months of unsuccessfully trying to sell my house, I signed it over to the bank.
As you know, I tried to do things the “right way”. I spent 3 months prepping the house for sale. Nothing helped. But let me tell you from my experience why no one should ever buy a house in Pottstown again.
1)Even though starting December 1st, 2012, not a drop of water was run in that house (and therefore no sewage either), and no trash or recycling was placed at the curb from that point, the Boro continued to quarterly bill us $240, and refused to take our name off the account. By the way, PECO took our name off the account as of December 1, 2012 and we never received another bill again. Obviously we refused to pay the water/sewer/trash bill (I guess that’s when I started being a bad citizen). So lickety split they shut off the water at the curb. Of course they continued to bill us quarterly with new charges even though the water was shutoff. This was followed by multiple liens against the property for these ridiculous charges. We are talking about $1500 (including Portnoffs charges). Not one drop of water was drawn, not one drop of water was flushed, not one item was placed out for recycling and trash. I know there are some that say that the Boro can legally do this but it does not make it right.
2)The tax burden is the #1 reason that my house would not sell. Every year, the combined Boro/SD/County property taxes went up at least 4%. They were almost $5000 last year. Add the minimum $80 month just to have water/sewer/trash service and homeowners insurance, you are adding at least $600 a month to a mortgage payment just for taxes/W/S/T/Insurance. The person or family that can afford a mortgage of $100k PLUS $600 month can afford to live elsewhere, not Pottstown.
3) We have seen some horrific properties in that town, but once the Boro realized that our former home was empty, all of a sudden I started receiving violations for things on the property that had been that way for 20 years or more (like some mortar eroded between some bricks on the garage and some peeling paint on a few garage windows). Considering that those conditions existed for 20+ years on that old garage to start the violations after I left is just harassment. I ignored the violations.
4)I had to get rid of the nice well maintained pool in the yard. The main reason was that the water stagnated and there was a complaint to the county (I understand-no argument there) but that combined with the fact that whoever bought the house was going to have to install a new, higher fence to meet an updated code (a fence that was just fine when we put up the pool), it was just better to remove the pool. What a shame.
So I am sad to say that now Mellon Bank own’s the house, I got nothing from my years of investment. Some would say I didn’t have to leave. But the choice was clear to me-between the taxes, insurance and utilities, if I didn’t try and sell it now, I would lose it anyway a few years down the road. That is a sad reality that many homeowners in that town face now.
Mellon paid all the taxes and liens. They will probably sell it as cheaply as possible, you know the ending to that story. An investor with a section 8 certificate will finish destroying a fine old house. The Boro’s policies just pushed the house to a cliff.
While much of the nation is experiencing a resurgence in home sales and bidding wars are not uncommon, Pottstown is bleeding good, taxpaying, law abiding residents….
officials in this borough remain phlegmatic to the strife and hardship the policies of this borough contribute to homeowners: people who, with the best of intentions and ability, contributed volunteer time and effort to this community and were unfaltering in their obligations. People who comprised the foundation of a solid tax base but can no longer justify or bear the burdens of the price they pay to own property in Pottstown.
Not unlike escaping the deadly jaws of shark in the ocean, most former homeowners are relieved to get out with whatever they have managed to salvage of their hides, sans a big chomp out of their credit ratings, finances and dignity.
Former homeowners don’t look back or take the time to express the depth of their sadness at the losses they’ve sustained for the crime of making every effort to be good, responsible residents of Pottstown.
Thank you friend for sharing this with us. Twenty + years is a long, long time to see everything you’ve worked for end in harassment and futility.
Equally disturbing is the fact that the borough continued to violate, place liens against the property, bill for services that were unused, and lien again.
Easy Money? Maybe. Ignorant and Short-sighted? Absolutely.
