Dilapidated House in Southeastern Enfield to be Demolished

ENFIELD, CT - Residents of Charnley Road will not have to complain about an eyesore on their street for much longer.

A dilapidated house at 5 Charnley Road, which neighbors say has been neglected for more than a half-dozen years, has been acquired by its adjacent homeowner, who plans to demolish it.

According to public records, Sandra Petronella, who lives next door at 7 Charnley, acquired the property via a quitclaim deed from Wells Fargo Bank on May 23. No financial consideration was disclosed.

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Petronella said as the adjacent landowner, she was approached by Wells Fargo "to see if we were interested in taking on the property ."

Enfield land records indicate Steven Kneeland had bought the house, a blue ranch-style home with white trim, in Jan. 2010, but according to Petronella, he ran out of money while in the midst of renovating it and abandoned it.

"A nice gentlemen had purchased it about six years ago, and had very good intentions, but he ran out of funds and left it to rot like this," Petronella said. "Neighbors have been upset by this for years, so we're going to put an end to it."

The property was turned over to Wells Fargo Bank in Dec. 2014.

Coyotes, foxes and other critters have inhabited the property as it has fallen into greater disrepair, Petronella said.

She said the immediate plans are to demolish what remains of the house and clean up the property.

"It will cost us financially to do this, with the demo and taxes etc., but we felt it was the best outcome for us and the neighborhood, going forward," Petronella said. "It's a positive thing for the entire neighborhood as no one wants to live near a property that looks like this."

Photo credits: Sandy Petronella and Enfield Assessor's Office