East Hampton Cracks Down On Montauk Trailer Priced At $4.4M: Town

MONTAUK, NY — A Montauk trailer home spotlighted in a recent news article for its $4.4 million asking price got the attention of East Hampton town officials — who cracked down recently on public safety violations, Supervisor Peter Van Scoyoc said.

According to East Hampton town officials, a renovated trailer at the Montauk Shores Condominiums at Ditch Plains in Montauk that was featured in an Aug. 28 NY Post article, highlighting its $4.4 million asking price, drew the attention of East Hampton Town's public safety officials, who saw interior photos that showed an attic-floor bedroom that was apparently installed without permits.

Following an inspection of the trailer, the property owner, Kenneth D. Hildebrandt of Patchogue, was issued a warning of a town code violation citing the "habitable sleeping area in attic," the "additional sleeping area," and the addition of full stairs leading to the attic, town officials said.

The owner was given two weeks' notice to remove the beds from the attic and replace the standard stairs installed without a permit with allowable pull-down attic stairs, and to submit building plans for the desired changes along with an application for a town-issued certificate of occupancy, town officials said.

Hildebrandt did not immediately return requests for comment from Patch.

"The requirement to submit building plans for review by the town building department, and for post-construction inspections before a certificate of occupancy can be issued, is designed to safeguard residents’ safety by insuring that building construction and renovation is done according to state and local building and fire codes," East Hampton town officials said. "The procedure also protects the community by assuring that town zoning codes are followed."

A new town code provision that would require a certificate of occupancy to be updated when a property changes hands will be the subject of a hearing before the East Hampton town board Thursday, officials said.

The hearing will begin at 11 a.m. at East Hampton Town Hall.