HANSON, Mass. — The Town of Hanson has ordered the owner of a torched pub to clean up the mess left behind or face more legal trouble.
As of Wednesday, mounds of debris still sit at the site of the former JJ’s Pub on Liberty Street.
The building was demolished hours after it went up in flames on July 5, but the owner never removed the pile or rubble.
During a hearing Tuesday night, Hanson Building Commissioner Robert Curran told the Board of Selectmen he sent the pub’s owner, Patricia Harrison, a courtesy notice in August to remind her the debris had to be removed. He said he followed up with a formal notice in September.
“I think it's a blessing that no one has gotten hurt measling around collecting mementos of JJ's Pub,” Hanson Selectmen Matthew Dyer said.
The Board ordered Harrison erect fence to secure property within five days and gave her until December 15, 2018 to remove all of the debris.
If either are not accomplished within the ordered time frames, the Town will seek legal permission through the courts to undertake the work itself and place liens for the cost on the property.
“The Board clearly expressed its dissatisfaction over a situation which has lingered unaddressed for almost four months,” Town Administrator Mike McCue said in a statement to Boston 25 News. “Ascetics aside, the debris presents a clear public safety issue, especially to children whose school is less than a few minutes walking distance away.”
The State Fire Marshal’s office ruled the fire arson.
Boston 25 News was the only television station in Brockton Superior Court on Friday when Harrison, her boyfriend, Wayne Cummings and a retired Boston firefighter, Alfred Russo, plead not guilty to arson charges.
Prosecutors say Harrison was hoping to collect 250-thousand dollars in insurance money for the building. They believe Russo’s costly addiction to pain pills and alcohol and his current financial situation led him to commit arson.
A judge ordered Harrison, Cumming and Russo to undergo screenings for drugs and alcohol. They’re due back in court in December for a pre-trial conference.