The Town of Oyster Bay is now closer to knocking down the shuttered Budget Inn in Massapequa after a State Supreme Court Judge denied a motion to postpone demolition.
Justice Conrad Singer said attorneys for Om Shiv Shai Guru Inc., the property owners of the Budget Inn, had failed to give enough reasons to grant a delay of the demolition, according to State Supreme Court filings.
An attorney for the property owners had asked the judge to delay the demolition until Nov. 30 and allow for Om Shiv Shai Guru Inc. to handle it. An attorney for the town opposed this, saying the two sides had agreed to begin the demolition process on Oct. 1, according to court documents.
Oyster Bay Supervisor Joseph Saladino said the ruling allows the town to move forward to “ensure that our community remains a safe, vibrant place to live.”
“This property has long been a source of community concern and a detriment to the quality of life in the surrounding neighborhood,” Saladino said in an emailed statement.
There is no indication from the town or from court filings as to when the demolition may be scheduled.
Singer had ordered the site at 400 Carman Mill Road to be closed and to have its permits revoked in 2024.
The town sued the property owners in February 2024, seeking to temporarily shut down the motel, saying it had violated the town code.
The town said the lawsuit was to address what it called “longstanding concerns about the property, which was deemed structurally dangerous and a hub for criminal activity.”
The motel owners sued the town two months later, claiming the town had violated its own code.
The town and the motel owners announced a settlement agreement in July 2024, which included the permanent closure of the Budget Inn and the future demolition of the structure.
Under the terms of the settlement, it had been agreed upon that the Budget Inn would have been demolished by June 30, 2025, and that the town would be reimbursed for the expenses it incurred during the legal process.
The next scheduled court date in the matter is for Nov. 19.
