The neighbors of the property at 43 Sullivan Road owned by Carl
Langner will soon see an end to the blight next door, according to
Bradford Township Code Enforcement Officer Merle Silvis.

Randy and Mary Lou Detweiler contacted The Era early in May to
express concern about their neighbor’s property, which they
describe as both an eyesore and a safety hazard. The Detweilers
said their problem with Langner, his house and grounds has been
ongoing for more than a decade.

The Detweilers’ property at 41 Sullivan Road is well-manicured
and landscaped, including flowers, a stone pathway and a fresh
water fish pond in the back yard. Most of the properties on
Sullivan Road are similar to the Detweilers’. Until you reach the
Langner residence, that is.

From the road, large lattice temporary fences cover most of the
property from view. Tarps covering partial construction projects
can still be seen, however, as well as exposed piping – apparently
a sewer line, according to the Detweilers – piles of old pallets,
window frames, loose lumber, shingles, tires, cinder blocks,
ladders and old equipment like lawnmowers and bed frames. Yellow
“caution” tape is strewn throughout the property.

A walk into the Detweiler’s back yard, however, reveals a sight
even more unappealing to the senses. From the back, much more of
the same materials can be seen piled throughout the yard, where
there is also a large hole dug into the ground. The Detweilers said
Langner told them the hole was going to be swimming pool at one
time, then a basketball court, and most recently, a car port for
the many unused vehicles parked in the yard. The house and
property, however, have been in constant state of construction,
they said, with little actually being finished. And this has been
the state of things there for nearly 20 years, they said.

Mary Lou Detweiler said that when she and her husband first
bought their house next door, the Langner residence was well-kept
under the ownership of Langner’s mother. Age and her health
apparently forced her out of the house and into an assisted living
care situation, they said, and that’s when the problems
started.

The Detweilers said they have asked the Bradford Township
Supervisors for help repeatedly, and Langner has been cited in the
past for various violations. As soon as progress is made in one
area, however, they said, a mess is created elsewhere.

Another neighbor, Chuck Gould, said he was afraid a fire there
would not only cause a hazard for the occupants, but for any
firefighter entering the property or house to fight it. He also
said he thought it was unfair that Langner seemingly was allowed to
build on his property without any type of permit; something any
other resident would not be allowed to get away with, he said.

Bradford Township Code Enforcement Officer Merle Silvis said
Friday there was a “whole list” of violations Langner is currently
in the process of being cited for.

“He (Langner) has been cited for keeping unusable vehicles on
the property, building with no permits or inspections” and more.
“The property is unsafe … there’s scaffolding everywhere. He’s dug
a hole in the back. It’s an eyesore.”

Supervisors chairman Tom Vickery agreed Friday that action
should be taken regarding Langner’s property, but added there are
several other properties in the township that also need to be
addressed if blight is going to be handled aggressively.

“There’s two more on the same street (Sullivan Road),” Vickery
said, also mentioning properties at the border of the township and
Lewis Run along U.S. Route 219 and a place on West Washington
Street toward Corydon Township.

“We’ve got some issues,” Vickery added.

Bradford Township Supervisor Cary Frigo called the Langner
property “a horrible mess,” adding the road to getting 43 Sullivan
Road cleaned up has been “long and drawn out,” and that the
neighbors “shouldn’t have to look at (the property).”

“We fully intend to take legal action,” Frigo told The Era in
mid-May.

Newly elected supervisor Steve Mascho said at about the same
time that he had been working with Silvis since the beginning of
year regarding Langner’s property.

“How many years has this been going on?” Mascho asked. “I want
it done and taken care of.” Mascho added he would like to see the
property turned over to the township and ultimately torn down to
create a lot to be sold, using the profits to recoup money for
cleanup costs.

Silvis said Langner’s property has been a problem since “two
(code enforcement) officers before” himself.

While Langner has been cited a number of times in the past,
Silvis went on, the problem lingers. Currently, officials are
waiting out a 10-day period allotted to Langner to comply with or
appeal a list of mandates, he said. Langner has at least eight
outstanding citations, Silvis said.

After the 10-day appeal period, Langner will have 60 days before
township officials enter the property and clean it up themselves.
The township and its taxpayers will bear the cost of the needed
cleaning and repairs at the Langner residence, Silvis said, and a
lien will be placed on the property to offset costs.

Silvis said he has never seen such action required of the
township in his experience.

“Just last week,” Silvis said, he cited Langner again because he
“hauled a car across the road and hid it in the woods.”

The purpose of property maintenance code, Silvis said, is to
make the area safe and sanitary.

Langner was not home when The Era visited the property earlier
this month, and a telephone number in the Bradford directory for a
Lucile Langner, 43 Sullivan Road, was disconnected when tried
Friday night. As such, Carl Langner was not immediately available
for comment for this story.

A year ago this month, however, the Detweilers and Gould
attended a regular supervisors meeting to voice their discontent
with Langner’s property and were told the supervisors were actively
pursuing the case then.

Langner also attended the meeting, saying the state of his
property was due to low income and dependence on third parties –
namely state agencies like the Pennsylvania Department of
Environmental Protection and Pennsylvania Department of
Transportation.