Hanover homeowner wants more time to clear debris after house fire

Oct. 27--When it comes to cleaning up the wreckage of a fire, how much time should a property owner have before local government steps in?

That's the question Hanover Borough officials and one local homeowner are looking to answer more than two months after a blaze tore through a home at 229 Carlisle St.

Property owner James Thomas, who was displaced by the fire, is appealing a deadline set by Hanover Borough Fire Chief Jan Cromer to clean up the property -- a task he has been doing by hand because he did not have insurance.

Cromer gave Thomas until Oct. 15 to remove the debris that has been spilling onto the sidewalk and into the yard behind the home.

Police roped off two parking spaces following the fire at the neighboring Guthrie Memorial Library for Thomas to park trucks and trailers for easy debris removal.

So far, Thomas believes he has removed about 25,000 pounds of debris from the building. But searching through the ashes for salvageable possessions takes time, he said.

"It's sifting through my memories," Thomas said Friday. "Not everything is a keepsake from my great-great-grandmother, but if I can save it I will."

Still, the structure remains unsecured and Thomas was worried that someone walking by could be struck with loose tiles from the roof, he said.

Thomas believes he can complete the cleanup by the end of November, he said, but added that it's difficult to determine an exact date.

The appeal, filed Oct. 19, is the first ever filed with the borough since the property maintenance code was adopted in December 2013, said Borough Manager Florence Ford.

"There is a procedure to this, and we are following it to the letter of the law," Ford said.

The borough will have 20 days since the letter was filed to establish an appeals board, she said.

According to the code, the board must consist of three members who are not employees of the borough and are qualified by level of experience and trained in property management, Cromer said.

Ford has compiled a list of potential members who will be considered by council members at their Oct. 26 meeting, Cromer said.

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