Cromwell Court Could Wait Until Mid-April for Resolution

Not much has changed at 113 Cromwell Court since —you can still take a glance inside the second floor, and rubble’s still scattered around the partially-demolished house.

And not much is going to change any time soon.

Officially, the township doesn’t have a court date until April 18—a month and a half after the demolition was halted.

But West Deptford solicitor Anthony Ogozalek Jr. is checking into whether that date can be moved up, township administrator Eric Campo said this week, given the condition of the home.

“The two attorneys who are handling this are doing what they can to resolve and move the case forward,” Campo said.

Contractor Michael Crowley forced the stoppage at the end of February, claiming there was asbestos debris being mishandled by an unlicensed contractor.

"It appears the township botched this job from minute one," Crowley said at the time.

Crowley’s been trying since last summer to overturn condemnation and demolition orders on the house, in an attempt to instead rehab the home. after a lengthy hearing at the beginning of February, choosing to uphold a November demolition order instead.

The home’s owners, Robert Schumann and the late Dorothy Schumann, abandoned the home about six years ago, neighbors said, and the property fell into disrepair.

Neighbors have complained of mold problems, among myriad other issues, and , with tax and other liens piling up, to the tune of roughly $90,000—not counting demolition costs.