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WILKES-BARRE — The unlocked door at the fire-damaged apartment building on Monroe Street welcomed trouble.

An intentionally set fire chased tenants from the building and caused heavy damage nearly two years ago. The door should have been locked and the windows boarded up at the condemned property, but to Joe Rodano and other members of the city’s Neighborhood Impact Team on Friday it appeared that people had gotten inside.

Rodano, an environmental review officer with the city’s Office of Community Development, said the owner would be notified about the violations.

“If they’re not in compliance, they get cited,” he said.

The team made up of members of the health, code enforcement, parking enforcement, fire and police departments visited several properties on a planned NIT hit in South Wilkes-Barre. It started on Elizabeth Street and turned onto Monroe Street in search of nuisance properties and obvious violations such as high weeds and piles of trash and garbage.

The fire-damaged building was at rear 38 Monroe Street and set back from two condemned properties in the front. It was familiar territory to Rodano who said 42-44 Monroe Street had been previously posted for violations.

“These doors are secured. That’s good, ” he said as he turned the knobs, checking to make sure they were locked.

From there the team drove to two multi-unit apartments a few blocks away on Maffett Street.

A hole in a window pane remained where a bullet pierced the glass and entered the first-floor apartment at 99 Maffett Street.

Police responded to a report of shots fired around 4:35 a.m. on April 23. The people involved had fled by the time police arrived. Officers collected evidence and reported two vehicles and two residences were damaged. No charges have been filed.

Rodano said the owner of the apartment buildings at 95 and 99 Maffett would be notified to arrange for inspections.

“They just expired,” Rodano said. The city requires inspections of rental properties every two years or when a tenant moves out and new one moves in.

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Bill Banas of the Wilkes-Barre code enforcement department looks in a broken window of a condemned property on Monroe Street Friday morning when the Neighborhood Impact Team hit South Wilkes-Barre in search of nuisance properties and code violations.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/web1_TTL052717WBNITHIT1.jpg.optimal.jpgBill Banas of the Wilkes-Barre code enforcement department looks in a broken window of a condemned property on Monroe Street Friday morning when the Neighborhood Impact Team hit South Wilkes-Barre in search of nuisance properties and code violations. Aimee Dilger | Times Leader

Joe Rodano, right and Jim Decker of Wilkes-Barre’s Neighborhood Impact Team found an unlocked door and checked inside to see if anyone was living in the fire-damaged apartment building in the rear of Monroe Street Friday morning.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/web1_TTL052717WBNITHIT2.jpg.optimal.jpgJoe Rodano, right and Jim Decker of Wilkes-Barre’s Neighborhood Impact Team found an unlocked door and checked inside to see if anyone was living in the fire-damaged apartment building in the rear of Monroe Street Friday morning. Aimee Dilger | Times Leader

By Jerry Lynott

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Reach Jerry Lynott at 570-991-6120 or on Twitter @TLJerryLynott.