Pitman landlord faces pressure to demolish home where cats were found

PITMAN - A home where animal control rescued nearly 140 cats could be demolished by the borough if its owner does not submit a remediation plan by next week.

Neil Chadwick, owner of the 6th Avenue house, was served with papers last week from borough code officials giving him until Dec. 31 to submit an action plan for the house; however, both Chadwick and public safety director Kevin Austin said the borough was unlikely to take any action before Jan. 6.

Gloucester County hazmat crews assisted the New Jersey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and county animal control officers in removing approximately 140 cats from the 900-square-foot building in the borough's Grove section starting Dec. 16. The cats were discovered when neighbors reported a strong smell of ammonia coming from the home. The odor was reported blocks away.

House 'basically abandoned' when 131 cats found

"It's worse than you can possibly imagine," said Chadwick, who rented the two-story house to tenant Tracy Rambo for 11 years.

The house was uninhabitable by humans, he said. Officials told the Courier-Post last week the tenant had not been living at the house. Chadwick said Rambo had been "an excellent tenant" most of those years; even when she had financial issues during a job change, he said, she "always showed good faith." He did not know, he said, of any issues at the home until he was contacted by animal control, and later by the SPCA, which asked him for access to the house to get to the cats.

It appeared the cats were fed; Gloucester County Animal Shelter's veterinarian determined the animals were healthy.

"Animal control did a superlative job over there," Austin said. "The last count I heard was about 140 cats, give or take. As far as I know, only two were deceased, though they might find more during the cleanup."

Officials: More than 100 cats in Pitman house

While the ammonia levels outside the house have dropped to acceptable levels and the cats have been removed, Chadwick faces pressure from the city to demolish the building. The house was turned back over to him Dec. 26; animal control and hazmat crews were there as late as Christmas Day still removing cats, Austin said.

The borough already has a lien on the property for cat removal and hazmat costs. Additional liens could be added by the borough if it knocks the building down next week. z

Chadwick claims to have spoken with council members after a council meeting. Council members referred him to the code enforcement office.

"I feel the town is being over-reactive, trying to swat a fly with a sledgehammer," he said.

He's waiting for his insurance company to determine if he'll be covered for building remediation or not. There is a still a mortgage on the home and, if it's demolished, Chadwick fears the home will be a total loss for him. He's spoken with a demolition contractor, but no agreement has been signed, pending his insurance company's decision.

Phaedra Trethan contributed to this story.

Carly Q. Romalino: (856) 486-2476; cromalino@gannettnj.com