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Owner gets extension to clean house
A board of health sanitarian said the house is satisfactory as far as he’s concerned.
CAMPBELL — A woman under orders by the county to clean up a house where she and her family lived until recently has gotten an extension to finish that cleanup.
Fifteen to 25 animals — cats and two dogs — were removed from the house at 600 Porter Ave. during a raid by Animal Charity in October.
Neighbors say they have been complaining about odors from the house for years.
Barbara Muscolo, who lived with her two adult children and a 12-year-old daughter at the house, was first told in a letter dated Oct. 23 that she had 15 days to clean it up. She has been given extensions ever since, with Mahoning County District Board of Health sanitarian Angelo Italiano saying that would be the case as long as she appeared to be making progress with the cleanup.
Italiano said that at 10 a.m. Monday, he met with Muscolo at the house. He said the house, where animal feces were contained to the basement, is satisfactory as far as he’s concerned. He said the basement has been cleaned and painted.
But there are still bags of refuse in the garage, he said, so he told Muscolo he couldn’t give her any more extensions.
She had to appear before county health commissioner Matthew Stefanak an hour later.
“I told the health commissioner I have confidence she’ll complete it,” Italiano said. Stefanak granted her an extension until Jan. 26, one day before a scheduled board of health meeting. The board could decide to condemn the house at its meeting, Italiano said.
The family moved out of the house three to four weeks ago, said Italiano, and he does not believe they intend to move back. A mortgage company is taking possession, he said.
A relative of Muscolo’s called The Vindicator in December after Campbell council members, neighbors and board of health representatives met about the house. The relative said then that the family would be moving away, and that extended family members intended to help with the cleanup.
Neighbor Rocky Yeropoli said he believes the situation is being resolved.
“It’s good as it stands,” he said, adding that he hopes he and another neighbor can get permission from the mortgage company to cut the grass.
The family’s cats were wild and had to be euthanized, and the dogs died while undergoing procedures at the shelter, Animal Charity told The Vindicator in October.
Children services also was monitoring the situation because of the 12-year-old.