Local News
Troubles heat up for ice rink property
EBENSBURG — The 7.5-acre Planet Ice property in Richland Township, on which delinquent property taxes remain unpaid, now faces a mortgage foreclosure by the Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority.
PIDA is alleges that the owner – 195 Jari Drive Johnstown, formerly known as Roustan Johnstown – owes $616,474 in principal and interest on a $1 million loan dating back to 2000.
The mortgage foreclosure was filed Nov. 5 at the Cambria County Courthouse.
Company officials did not return a message left Thursday at Planet Ice.
The company has not made a payment since Sept. 1, 2007, PIDA alleges in the civil complaint. Listed along with the company as a defendant is Johnstown Industrial Development Corp., which acted as a conduit for the loan.
PIDA has not yet filed what is known as a writ of execution for the property to be sold at a sheriff’s sale. The earliest the property could be in such a sale would be March, a clerk said.
Because of unpaid taxes, the property had been listed for sale at the county’s annual tax sale in September, but it was taken off the auction block in a stay signed by Judge Timothy Creany.
The Cambria County Tax Claim Bureau said the $250,577 listed on the ice rink property was the highest of any property in its legal advertisement for the tax sale.
Creany signed the stay after the owner said the ice rink property was to be sold to a private buyer by Oct. 30.
But Sam Runzo, director of the tax claim bureau, said there has been no sale and the delinquent taxes still have not been paid.
The delinquent amount through 2008 is $181,391, and an additional $69,188 is owed in 2009 taxes, Runzo said. The 2009 taxes, by law, have to be included in the amount advertised, he explained.
Another $3,460 in interest has been tacked on since the advertisement ran in July, Runzo said.
If the taxes remain unpaid, the property will be listed in next year’s tax sale, he said.
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