The Plymouth Board of Public Works and Safety unanimously voted Monday evening to impose $6,000 in fines against Red Rock Inn property owner Mr. Patel after he failed to meet multiple deadlines regarding the remediation and procurement of a bond for the demolition of the motel and Mi Camino Restaurant building.
The board took up Patel's previously tabled request to delay an Order to Take Action. At a city meeting two weeks prior, Patel stated he was unable to secure a demolition permit by the May 1 deadline because his hired contractor could not access the restaurant building to determine demolition costs.
Building Commissioner Dennis Manuwal reported Monday that while the demolition contractor has now registered with the city and applied for the permit, several critical requirements from the original November order remain unfulfilled. Required inspections by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) have not been conducted, and the city has not received the necessary reports. Furthermore, a mandatory $500,000 demolition bond, which was supposed to be in place by the end of 2025, has yet to be presented.
Mayor Listenberger requested clarification on the city's legal options from City Attorney Houin. Houin explained that when the board confirmed the order in November, they stayed the initial fines on the condition that the demolition bond be acquired. Because Patel failed to secure the bond within the appropriate timeframe, the board had the authority to implement the stayed penalties—$2,500 for remediation and $2,500 for demolition.
Manuwal recommended imposing the fines immediately due to the incomplete remediation and unsecured bond. Because the owner did not comply with the order, the fines are retroactive, adding a $1,000 penalty for the first 90 days of non-compliance and bringing the total to $6,000. If the bond is not obtained and presented to the city by Wednesday, another $1,000 fine will be levied for an additional 90 days of non-compliance.
During the meeting, Patel informed the board that he had hired Goshen-based attorney Richard Bryant earlier that day. Bryant, who noted he was brought onto the case just an hour before the meeting, stated he had already initiated the process of securing the required bond. While he indicated the bond company from Illinois seemed agreeable, although he could not confirm if the bond had been officially issued by Monday evening’s meeting.
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