Budget Inn motel cited for code violations to be demolished, court records show
The Budget Inn in Massapequa, Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2024. The Town of Oyster Bay filed a lawsuit against the Budget Inn in Massapequa that alleges the property is in violation of town code because it is unsafe and a public nuisance. Credit: Newsday/Steve Pfost
The Town of Oyster Bay and the owners of the Budget Inn motel in Massapequa in a settlement agreed to demolish the building that's been cited for numerous code violations over the past year.
The settlement, filed in court documents Wednesday, requires the owners of the property — or its future owners, if it is sold — to destroy the motel and any other structures at the location by June 30, 2025. It also requires Om Shiv Sai Guru Inc., which is listed as the motel’s owner, to pay Oyster Bay $42,184.34 in legal fees and other costs, court documents show.
Kevin O’Brien, an attorney for the motel, did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday.
The town sued the ownership group in State Supreme Court in February in an effort to stop the Carman Mill Road property from operating as a hotel or motel. A judge sided with the town, and a subsequent inspection of the property found numerous hazards, including exposed wiring, faulty fire alarms, mold and a locked door leading outside, according to court documents.
However, the owners of the motel sued Oyster Bay in April after the town revoked its business permits and certificates of occupancy. The suit argued the town violated its own code and was excessive when it rescinded those documents.
The filing said removing the property’s permits and certificates of occupancy would effectively put the motel out of business or severely delay its reopening.
As a result of the new settlement, Om Shiv Sai Guru Inc. will drop that lawsuit.
Additionally, the owners of the property will no longer have to pay for 24/7 security on the premises, as previously required by a judge.
If the property's owners do not complete the demolition by June 30, the agreement indicates they will consent to “the Town of Oyster Bay performing said demolition and acknowledges responsibility for the Town's costs incurred thereby.”
“This eyesore was the location of violent criminal activity and was in a serious state of disrepair,” Oyster Bay Supervisor Joseph Saladino said in a statement Wednesday. “We took immediate action to rid our community of this dangerous property, and today’s settlement is a tremendous victory for the Town of Oyster Bay and all our residents.”
The motel will remain closed until it is demolished, the town said.
Nassau County Police Department records cited in the lawsuit showed 15 arrests at the location in 2023, including for criminal possession of a weapon, promotion of prostitution and assault.
Court documents said about 80% of the motel’s business was centered on funding it received from the Nassau County Department of Social Services to house individuals in single rooms.
Chris Boyle, a Nassau County spokesman, said in an email on March 13 that the county moved all its clients from the location to other housing. The county had lodged people in rooms for $120 per night.
The Town of Oyster Bay and the owners of the Budget Inn motel in Massapequa in a settlement agreed to demolish the building that's been cited for numerous code violations over the past year.
The settlement, filed in court documents Wednesday, requires the owners of the property — or its future owners, if it is sold — to destroy the motel and any other structures at the location by June 30, 2025. It also requires Om Shiv Sai Guru Inc., which is listed as the motel’s owner, to pay Oyster Bay $42,184.34 in legal fees and other costs, court documents show.
Kevin O’Brien, an attorney for the motel, did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday.
The town sued the ownership group in State Supreme Court in February in an effort to stop the Carman Mill Road property from operating as a hotel or motel. A judge sided with the town, and a subsequent inspection of the property found numerous hazards, including exposed wiring, faulty fire alarms, mold and a locked door leading outside, according to court documents.
However, the owners of the motel sued Oyster Bay in April after the town revoked its business permits and certificates of occupancy. The suit argued the town violated its own code and was excessive when it rescinded those documents.
The filing said removing the property’s permits and certificates of occupancy would effectively put the motel out of business or severely delay its reopening.
As a result of the new settlement, Om Shiv Sai Guru Inc. will drop that lawsuit.
Additionally, the owners of the property will no longer have to pay for 24/7 security on the premises, as previously required by a judge.
If the property's owners do not complete the demolition by June 30, the agreement indicates they will consent to “the Town of Oyster Bay performing said demolition and acknowledges responsibility for the Town's costs incurred thereby.”
“This eyesore was the location of violent criminal activity and was in a serious state of disrepair,” Oyster Bay Supervisor Joseph Saladino said in a statement Wednesday. “We took immediate action to rid our community of this dangerous property, and today’s settlement is a tremendous victory for the Town of Oyster Bay and all our residents.”
The motel will remain closed until it is demolished, the town said.
Nassau County Police Department records cited in the lawsuit showed 15 arrests at the location in 2023, including for criminal possession of a weapon, promotion of prostitution and assault.
Court documents said about 80% of the motel’s business was centered on funding it received from the Nassau County Department of Social Services to house individuals in single rooms.
Chris Boyle, a Nassau County spokesman, said in an email on March 13 that the county moved all its clients from the location to other housing. The county had lodged people in rooms for $120 per night.
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