Economy Inn Escapes Demolition Order ... For Now
May 11, 2021 at 8:01 p.m.
By Amanda Bridgman-
Jay Patel’s property at 3521 Lake City Highway, Warsaw, has been on the code enforcement’s docket for nearly two years after a storm severely damaged the motel in May 2019. The motel has been closed since.
Patel said he had to wait nearly 18 months for an insurance claim to come through, but it was discovered at the April code enforcement meeting he’d already received more than a million dollars.
Patel said Tuesday that money was used to make roof repairs, gut the building and for mitigation work. He has another $350,000 sitting in the bank that is to be used for construction.
However, hearing officer Tom Earhart – who had enough during April’s meeting and fined Patel $300 a day – demanded plans Tuesday to get the ball rolling. Otherwise, Earhart said, Patel may not like the consequences.
Patel appeared Tuesday alongside his engineer, Chris Badger, who for the first time submitted drawings to building commissioner Ray Behling. Behling had wanted the plans long before Tuesday.
“My question is, how do we know what these repairs are gonna cost? Nobody has had a plan to look at to be able to bid the job,” Behling said. “That’s what plans are for – one of the reasons – is so that a contractor or several contractors can look at the plans and give you a price on what it’s gonna cost to make these repairs.”
Patel and Badger said they have submitted the plans to the state and will prepare a breakdown and budget for the city’s code enforcement board by the end of next week to better detail their project.
Code Enforcement Officer Dana Hewitt said the lack of communication from Patel has grown tiresome.
“We don’t hear anything from you on this process,” Hewitt said, citing past promises by Patel that never came through. “There’s a lack of communication on who’s working for you to get this done and you responding back to us. If I had a property that was looking to be demo’d because things are taking too long, I would be every day finding out if we had received the information.”
Hewitt said the breakdown in communication between Patel and Badger is poor.
“Moving forward, you gotta contact us. I have reached out to you, you didn’t reach out to us, so I think that’s why we’re taking this more seriously about moving forward than you are, trying to create more time between where we were and where we need you to be, and you’re dragging your feet,” Hewitt said. “So, I’m not gonna reach out to you. You’re gonna have to do that to us, because I’ll show up here and say, ‘Hey, I haven’t heard anything.’”
Behling also said he drove through the property the other day and there were open windows, doors and plywood was pulled down.
Patel said he has since secured the openings.
“You’re running out of time, and we’re running out of patience,” Earhart said. “And like I said, consequences may not be favorable.”
Other cases heard Tuesday included:
• The Alan and Diana Kado property at 704 E. Center St. that has been on the docket for several months. Alan’s progress on the property is nearly up to snuff, and he was asked to appear at the June hearing to “hopefully close out his case,” Earhart said.
• The 317 N. Union St. property owned by Dewayne and Becky Busz was continued after Behling reported work is being done.
• The condemned home at 316 S. Union St. owned by Darwin Busz was continued to next month’s hearing. Hewitt said the health department, along with the county’s housing authority, are working with Busz to help resolve some of the home’s major problems. After that, Hewitt and Behling will do a full inspection.
The next Warsaw Code Enforcement hearing is 10 a.m. June 22 at City Hall.
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Jay Patel’s property at 3521 Lake City Highway, Warsaw, has been on the code enforcement’s docket for nearly two years after a storm severely damaged the motel in May 2019. The motel has been closed since.
Patel said he had to wait nearly 18 months for an insurance claim to come through, but it was discovered at the April code enforcement meeting he’d already received more than a million dollars.
Patel said Tuesday that money was used to make roof repairs, gut the building and for mitigation work. He has another $350,000 sitting in the bank that is to be used for construction.
However, hearing officer Tom Earhart – who had enough during April’s meeting and fined Patel $300 a day – demanded plans Tuesday to get the ball rolling. Otherwise, Earhart said, Patel may not like the consequences.
Patel appeared Tuesday alongside his engineer, Chris Badger, who for the first time submitted drawings to building commissioner Ray Behling. Behling had wanted the plans long before Tuesday.
“My question is, how do we know what these repairs are gonna cost? Nobody has had a plan to look at to be able to bid the job,” Behling said. “That’s what plans are for – one of the reasons – is so that a contractor or several contractors can look at the plans and give you a price on what it’s gonna cost to make these repairs.”
Patel and Badger said they have submitted the plans to the state and will prepare a breakdown and budget for the city’s code enforcement board by the end of next week to better detail their project.
Code Enforcement Officer Dana Hewitt said the lack of communication from Patel has grown tiresome.
“We don’t hear anything from you on this process,” Hewitt said, citing past promises by Patel that never came through. “There’s a lack of communication on who’s working for you to get this done and you responding back to us. If I had a property that was looking to be demo’d because things are taking too long, I would be every day finding out if we had received the information.”
Hewitt said the breakdown in communication between Patel and Badger is poor.
“Moving forward, you gotta contact us. I have reached out to you, you didn’t reach out to us, so I think that’s why we’re taking this more seriously about moving forward than you are, trying to create more time between where we were and where we need you to be, and you’re dragging your feet,” Hewitt said. “So, I’m not gonna reach out to you. You’re gonna have to do that to us, because I’ll show up here and say, ‘Hey, I haven’t heard anything.’”
Behling also said he drove through the property the other day and there were open windows, doors and plywood was pulled down.
Patel said he has since secured the openings.
“You’re running out of time, and we’re running out of patience,” Earhart said. “And like I said, consequences may not be favorable.”
Other cases heard Tuesday included:
• The Alan and Diana Kado property at 704 E. Center St. that has been on the docket for several months. Alan’s progress on the property is nearly up to snuff, and he was asked to appear at the June hearing to “hopefully close out his case,” Earhart said.
• The 317 N. Union St. property owned by Dewayne and Becky Busz was continued after Behling reported work is being done.
• The condemned home at 316 S. Union St. owned by Darwin Busz was continued to next month’s hearing. Hewitt said the health department, along with the county’s housing authority, are working with Busz to help resolve some of the home’s major problems. After that, Hewitt and Behling will do a full inspection.
The next Warsaw Code Enforcement hearing is 10 a.m. June 22 at City Hall.
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