By JOSEPH KELLARD
"If I could have sold the motel, I could have gotten more than $2.8 million because I've gotten an offer for the motel for $3.2 million," Bhatt claimed. "...If you want to sell your business yourself, you get more money absolutely. Always the township or any other government agency that wants to acquire property for public use [are going to offer you less.]"
Bhatt's comments come after Hempstead Town Supervisor Kate Murray and Councilman Anthony Santino held a press conference on the motel property June 1 to announce that state Supreme Court Justice Edward McCabe signed an order of condemnation against the motel owners on May 23. Bhatt has 30 days to appeal the judge's ruling.
"[After the 30 days], notification is given to the owner to vacate it," Santino said. "And as I understand it, if the owner doesn't do it, we have recourse to go to the county sheriff's office to have him vacate the premises."
Once the necessary procedures are taken to officially complete the ruling, the town will hold title to the property and can take it at any time from Bhatt and Joshi. A judge still needs to establish a fair market price for the property so that the town can purchase the motel, demolish it and install a public parking lot.
"The town will pay a certain advance, and then the final settlement price will be decided by a judge," Santino explained. The town has said it had the motel property appraised at $1.5 million. "And whether we have to pay more or not," Santino added, "obviously we will do what the court directs."
About the probability that the town can take the motel and evict him while the judge's ruling on the price of the property may be prolonged, Bhatt said, "That is a very difficult situation I have to make, because this is my bread and butter. If they give me the fair market value for my property, I will take it and go ahead with it. But I have a mortgage with more than $800,000 on the property, and they want to give me just $1.5 million."
Bhatt said it would be "next to impossible" for him to purchase another motel if the judge permits the town to purchase his property at $1.5 million. "It's very difficult to find another motel," he said.
What has made matters difficult for Bhatt in running the motel, he said, is that Joshi is wheelchair-bound and has a son with muscular dystrophy, resulting in high medical bills. "That has made it hard for us to make improvements with the motel," Bhatt said.
The town board condemned the motel last June after a series of drug-related arrests were made on the Bhatt's property. These arrests followed ongoing complaints from neighbors of the motel about criminal activities there from drug use to underage drinking to prostitution, as well as people, including sex offenders, using the motel as a residence.
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