Owner of Thompson Building in Pottsville behind on taxes

Aug. 10—POTTSVILLE — The developer who announced grand plans for the Thompson Building, the city's "first skyscraper," when he bought it in 2021 hasn't paid property taxes on the site since the purchase.

"It's certainly not a good sign from a new owner," said Mayor Dave Clews.

Clews said the six-story building is a "key piece of real estate" at Centre and West Market streets, and he wants to know what will become of it.

Advanced Consulting Inc., which has addresses in New York and Pennsylvania, bought the building at 23 N. Centre St. through the county tax claim bureau in April 2021 for $21,673.74.

Now it's listed on the county tax claim "upset sale" list for Sept. 18.

For an upset sale, "at least one year's taxes, or a portion thereof, must be delinquent for a period of almost 2 years," according to the county website, and includes all liens and judgments attached to the property.

Advanced Consulting is in arrears of $33,456.21 in taxes from 2021 and 2022: $16,035.38 in city and county taxes; and $17,420.83 in Pottsville Area School District property taxes.

Asked about the situation in a phone interview Tuesday morning, Gem Lake, CEO of Advanced Consulting, said he wanted to call back later in the day to discuss it further. He had not done so as of Thursday afternoon.

What the property will be listed for at the upset sale will be determined closer to the date, but it will include what's owed for the two years of delinquent taxes; all current year taxes; any state liens and municipal claims; and the cost to bring it to sale.

An agreement to stay the sale can be entered if a 25% payment of city and county taxes is made and a payment schedule is established, and if the entity has not defaulted on a previous payment schedule in the past three years. Deborah J. Dasch, interim assistant director of the county tax claims bureau, said Advanced Consulting has not defaulted on any such agreement.

The upset sale list shows a total of $66,638 owed by Advanced Consulting, but that also includes taxes for 2017 through 2020 that were paid upon the 2021 purchase but not yet distributed to the three taxing bodies.

Plans and citations

Despite warnings from city code officials that it would take more than $1 million to fix problems with the building, Lake said in July 2021 that he planned to make it operational with retail shops; a museum; a technology incubator; recording and painting studios; and a "university" offering courses.

More than two years later, items could be seen stored inside the first floor on Monday, but there was no activity.

City municipal officials cited the company in September for summary violations on April 26 and 27, 2022, of the International Property Maintenance Code, citing "vacant structures and land."

A summary trial was scheduled for July 6 in the office of Magisterial District Judge James K. Reiley, Pottsville, but Reiley said the hearing was continued at the request of city officials because they wanted to review the problems with Lake. A new date has not been set.

Advanced Consulting has run into code trouble with other properties it owns in the county.

In Ashland, it was cited with a summary of failure to maintain premises at 1227 Centre St. Court records show the case was awaiting a plea as of June 29.

An employee of the office of Magisterial District Judge Edward J. Tarantelli said a certified summons was issued, but there has been no response. Confirmation will be made with the post office as to whether the mail was deliverable before determining the next course of action, which could include a warrant, an employee at the court said.

Officials in Ringtown took action against Advanced Consulting in September 2020 for a property it owned at 273 W. Main St. The property was sold on Oct. 25, 2021, to OMSAI Com LLC for $14,000, according to the Schuylkill County Parcel locator.

The borough also filed a civil claim alleging violation of the fire protection fee ordinance, sewer system maintenance and failure to pay a refuse disposal fee. A default judgment was issued for $4,294.26, records show.

Advanced Consulting appealed the ruling in November 2020, the last filing noted on court records.

In Coaldale, the company agreed to stop the purchase of six properties in August 2021, which it was attempting to buy through a tax claim bureau sale, after a county court hearing.

First assistant solicitor Glenn T. Roth read an email from Lake in court in which Lake said he wasn't going to pursue the sale after it was "obvious Coaldale doesn't want me to do business" in the borough.

Coaldale solicitor Robert Yurchak said in a court filing that the borough had concerns about other properties the company had in the borough.

Contact the writer: amarchiano@republicanherald.com; 570-628-6023