Clarkstown Fights Illegal Boarding School In Court: Report

NEW CITY, NY — The town of Clarkstown is fighting an illegal boarding school in a house at 61 South Mountain Road. New York State Supreme Court Justice Christie D'Alessio has granted the town's request for a temporary restraining order requiring the 22 students leave and preventing the school from operating, The Journal News reported.

The property owner, Yoel Yzvi Templer, will fight the order, his lawyer told TJN reporter Steve Lieberman, saying he had upgraded the septic system and other issues that led the town to cite him for building code violations. They have 20 days to respond.

Read the full article on lohud.com.

According to the complaint, the house is a two-story colonial with a detached garage. An inspection in January found no sprinklers, no smoke alarms in the bedrooms/dormitory, and many building modifications without permits including a kitchen and ritual bath in the garage, town officials said.

Private schools operating without state or local permits have been a problem in Rockland for years. SEE: Rockland County Exec Says County Will Monitor School With Illegal Water, Electric Hook-ups

Town Supervisor George Hoehmann told the newspaper that the school began operating without any town approvals or permits. He said Clarkstown would go to court to stop operations that violate zoning, building and safety codes, TJN reported.

That's a contrast with nearby Spring Valley, where the lack of enforcement led to first a state monitor and then a state-mandated takeover, by Rockland County, of its code inspection operation. SEE: Taking On 'Ground Zero For Illegal Housing' In Rockland