A foreclosed house in the Hamlet of Mount Upton has become an unsafe eyesore, according to Guilford town officials who say it needs to come down. (Photo by Shawn Magrath)

GUILFORD – The Town of Guilford is looking to bear the expense of razing a foreclosed house in the Mount Upton hamlet, ridding the area of what officials say has become a major eyesore in the township.

The Guilford Town Board requested that the property next to the old Mount Upton School on State Route 8 be removed from the county’s tax sale which was held last week. Town officials wish to demolish the property instead, making the case that the house is beyond repair.

“I was told that this property was salvageable. Now, to find out that it probably is not,” said Chenango County Deputy Treasurer Barbara Strier.

Strier said the county could make a deal with the Town of Guilford similar to one recently made with the Village of Afton. The county would sell the property for $1,000, wave back taxes and cover closing fees.

The house rests on a property of about 71 by 76 feet, according to Guilford Town Superintendent George Seneck. The house itself has been on the radar of town officials for years, he said, with a crumbling foundation and extensive damage that isn't worth the cost to repair.

“We just want it cleaned up. We tried to work with the property owner, but nothing has happened,” Seneck said. “I’ve spoken with all my board members. They’re all very supportive of this. It’s something we’ve been working on for a multitude of years, to clean up that area.”


A resolution approving the purchase is anticipated to go before the Guilford Town Board at its next monthly meeting.

Seneck said the property is developable, but attracting a private developer may depend on the fate of the adjacent school building.