Derelict motel awaits take-down

Ownership title yet to be resolved

By Kara Didrich | Manor Ink

Livingston Manor, NY – What’s up with the Willowemoc Motel? The motel was once a nice place to stay for visitors to Livingston Manor. Now it has become an ongoing concern.

The Willowemoc Motel’s owner died around three years ago, and currently the building is in the possession of Catskill Holdings. As reported by Manor Ink in April 2024, the Town of Rockland board held a public hearing on the proposed demolition of the motel structure. Catskill Holdings representative Richard Baum requested 30 days to pursue interest from a potential buyer. Town Code Enforcement Officer Glenn Gabbard agreed, on the condition the structure would be boarded up to deter further break-ins. That was done and that’s how the motel has remained since then.

“We’ve gotten a quote from Tweedie Construction in Walton,” Town Supervisor Rob Eggleton said. “It would cost about $250,000, not just to take it down, but to fill in the big hole that has opened up inside the building. “A lot of fill will need to be hauled in to get it done,” he explained.

When the Ink asked who would fund the demolition for the motel, Eggleton said, “Typically, the town would pay for it up front and then add the cost to the owner’s tax bill.” He explained that Sullivan County occasionally provides funding to assist the town if the tax payer reneges. Currently there are not enough town funds because of other demolitions already scheduled in Rockland.

Although the motel looks fairly decent on the outside, looks can be deceiving. On the inside, floors have caved in, there is mold in the basement, the sewage system has failed, and there is damage throughout caused by vandals and squatters.

When Gabbard installed trail cameras at the site, he observed as many as 30 people over a period of two weeks driving in, looking around, hanging out and then leaving. As a result, the town set up concrete parking blocks to prevent more trespassers from accessing the property.

In the past, both Eggleton and Gabbard have expressed concern about the safety of the building. “I’m afraid I’ll find someone there who has overdosed,” Gabbard said last year. Eggleton also anticipates asbestos will need to be removed. “What happens is, if we take it down, we have to hire a contractor. They’ll have to do an asbestos abatement, which costs $3,000 on an average for a house. That might be a little bit more, and because there’s a basement, they’re going to have to do what’s called a ‘wet take down’.”

The town can’t proceed until the property title gets transferred from the deceased owner’s estate. Gabbard and Eggleton are frequently checking to see if transfer has occurred so they can move forward on another public hearing to start the demolition process. They are doing their best to move the process along.