GENESEE COUNTY/The Sheriff’s Office is investigating after the vacant historic Odd Fellow Lodge was broken into and vandalized on Friday night

According to Genesee County Sheriff’s Office Investigator Ryan DeLong, the Sheriff’s Office has opened a criminal investigation after the historic Odd Fellow Lodge at Rt. 5 and Rt. 237 was broken into.

According to building owner James Pontillo, he arrived at the property on Friday evening and found several doors were broken open and some vandalism occurred inside the building.

On April 25, 2024, a notice of abandonment was placed on one of the front doors by Stafford Code Enforcement Officer Gene Sinclair. Pontillo says he received a notice at his residence in Stafford on June 8, 2024, about the Certificate of Abandonment.

“I just got a notice on June 8th on my door that we abandoned the building, I was never served so, and we don’t hang out at our house all the time so, here’s the thing, they have my email, they have my phone number, they never made a phone call, so I’m coming to the meeting (Regular Town Board Meeting on July 8, 2024 at 7:30p.m.) to find out more, ” says Pontillo.

According to the Certificate of Abandonment filed with the Genesee County on May 1, 2024, the building located at 6177 Main Street Road in Stafford was inspected by Stafford Code Enforcement Officer Gene Sinclair and he has determined that the property is vacant and has been used for commercial purposes and is therefore commercial property.

Taken from the posted Certificate of Abandonment:

[The property is not sealed or continuously guarded, a vacate order (issued in 2017/date crossed out and now says 2019) prohibits occupancy of the property and the property has had a property maintenance violation that has the potential to injure or endanger the health and safety of others or unreasonably annoy others and has been continuously outstanding and not remediated for a period of at least one year from the date of the original order to correct a notice of violation that was served upon the property.

The order lists an unfinished roof, fire escape is missing, damaged an open soffit that has deteriorated, torn missing weatherproof coating, electric meters are not secured attached, coverings are not secure, no working fire alarm system, no fire separation, insufficient fire resistance as there is no fire rated construction visible on the exterior, and upon information and belief-the interior of the building there are open laths on walls, building structure is neglected. The property presents a threat to life and safety due to inadequate maintenance of the property and it is unfit for habitation and the building structure lacks sufficient fire resistance.]

“Here’s the thing, the taxes are paid, there is electricity coming to the building, and they made over 50 phone calls to try and have the electricity cut off, the electric company called me and said we’re getting sick and tired of these people calling us, anonymously calling us, it was Gene Sinclair, it was Mr. Mullen and other people are calling, that building its unsafe, it’s a fire hazard we’re going to have issues you need to shut the electric off, they said they were tired of taking phone calls. There is also gas that’s turned on here because we heat the building. “

After the break in was discovered, Pontillo was working to secure the doors that were damaged in the incident. The Sheriff’s Office says they will release information in the form of a press release if their criminal investigation leads to a suspect(s) in the break in/vandalism incident.

Previously:

https://fb.watch/s-W_YWdD3C -August 8, 2015

STAFFORD/Pontillo property in Stafford not up to code, Town says it cannot be occupied – Video News Service