Still Wondering Why America's Largest Township Has The Most Illegal Accessory Apartments?

Duhhhhhh! Its Because The Foxes Are Still Watching The Hen Houses, And Bringing The Chickens Home To Roost In The Basement

When is Code enforcement not Code enforcement?

When the folks who are supposed to be enforcing the Code are themselves violating it.

Such is the case in the Town of Hempstead, where a 22-year veteran of Code enforcement has been found in violation of the law governing accessory apartments in single family homes.

Another instance -- from top to bottom in Hempstead Town -- where the law is meant to be broken, rather than observed, and its "do as I say, not as I do."

The Code enforcer (and we use that term lightly here, as "enforcement" is a non-starter in the Town of Hempstead) got a slap on the wrist, this in the form of a 60-day suspension (reduced to 30 days), and a $500 fine.

Why not demand his resignation? After all, he not only broke the law, he failed to perform the very job function for which he was supposedly employed.

Nah. That might put a cog in the patronage wheel, and literally upset the apple cart of a local government -- where a Code enforcement officer who ISN'T doing his job gets (not earns) $92,326 a year -- completely out of control. Well, out of the public's control, anyway.
- - -
Hempstead Town code enforcer fined $500
EDEN LAIKIN

A Hempstead Town code enforcement officer who was suspended for 60 days last year for illegally maintaining a two-family rental in Franklin Square was fined $500 in district court.

Stephen Centore, a 22-year town employee, pleaded guilty to illegal use of a single-family home on Tuesday. He has also brought the house into compliance with town code by removing a tenant who was there illegally and taking out a second kitchen, officials said.

The other summonses that had been issued to Centore - performing construction and plumbing without a permit and failure to live at the premises - were dismissed as part of the plea deal.

The town suspended Centore for 60 days in May, but an arbitrator reduced the penalty to 30 days after a hearing. As part of his job duties, Centore inspects public places and could cite a property owner for illegal use, town officials said.

Centore, who earns $92,236, could not be reached for comment. In 1991, the town zoning board granted the former owners of the house at 206 Courthouse Rd. approval to operate a two-family home - provided the owner live there and renew the variance every five years.

Town officials learned during an inspection that Centore, 50, never renewed the zoning permits, and property records showed his home address listed on nearby Doughty Road in Franklin Square.

Copyright © 2008, Newsday Inc.