Crews clean up disused gas station in New Jersey while holding its owners accountable: "Very unacceptable"
Camden Public Works crews spent Tuesday cleaning up a disused gas station, which county and city leaders described as a landmark of blight.
The property is located just before Thorndyke Street along the westbound lanes of Admiral Wilson Boulevard leading into Camden and Philadelphia.
Camden city inspectors said the property, which last functioned as a gas station in 2019, has racked up thousands of dollars in code violations, including overgrown weeds, failure to clean up graffiti and failure to secure the property.
"The conditions here, of this privately-owned property, is very unacceptable," Mayor Vic Carstarphen said. "It's become a haven for trash. It's become a haven for crime, and it's become a haven for negative activity."
Gilbert and Emily Rivera can see the property just outside their family home's windows.
"It's difficult because you're a homeowner, and you look out your window, and you want to see a nice view, and instead you see people dumping," Emily Rivera said. "It's just not a pleasant view."
Gilbert Rivera is excited city crews are cleaning up the property.
"Very happy to see this," Gilbert Rivera said. "Very happy, wow! [It's] been a long time."
But the clean-up comes at a cost of $25,000, which the city is demanding the property owner pay back.
The city plans to file a lien on the property though city inspectors complained the property's owners have not responded to their violation notices.
The property's owners, Pontus Capital Shell Portfolio LLC is affiliated with Pontus Capital, which issued the following statement:
"We share the city's concerns about the property's condition and appreciate the opportunity to provide context to this complex situation. The Camden property is currently subject to a long-term lease agreement with a tenant who has recently filed for bankruptcy. Under the terms of this lease, the tenant bears full responsibility for property maintenance and continuous operation. While the tenant has failed to fulfill these obligations, our ability to take immediate corrective action is legally constrained by both the existing lease terms and the tenant's ongoing bankruptcy proceedings.
The ownership group, consisting of out-of-state passive investors, has never occupied nor maintained legal possession of the property. Despite receiving no rental income for several years, Pontus remains committed to working constructively with the City of Camden to address these issues, within the boundaries of our legal constraints."
