Pocono News Section

Carbondale Orders 'Nuisance Apartment' Closed

Carbondale Orders 'Nuisance Apartment' Closed - Thursday, May 8, 2008 at 1:23PM EST

Reported by: David DeCosmo WYOU TV News
Thursday, May 8, 2008 @ 01:23pm EST
CARBONDALE, LACKAWANNA COUNTY- Carbondale's Code Enforcement Officer has posted a notice on an apartment in the 200 block of South Main Street ordering the unit padlocked until further notice. The action comes after a woman was arrested there a week ago and police confiscated 16 bags of heroin and nearly a dozen hypodermic needles.

The city's Neighborhood Preservation and Nuisance Abatement Ordinance allows the Code Enforcement Office to shut down properties that have been the subject of numerous complaints or police response calls. Units are not usually closed unless there have been at least three violations. Since drugs were involved in the latest instance the ordinance allows the city to take immediate action.

The landlord says the tenant has not been in the apartment for some time and had apparently allowed the woman who had the drugs to use the unit.

The city will have to check the apartment to see if it conforms with all existing health and safety codes before the landlord can offer it for rent again.