Judge backs City of Geneva in dispute over Castle St. property

An Ontario County judge has ruled in favor of the city of Geneva in a legal proceeding against a landlord.

In a recent decision, Judge Frederick Reed dismissed the appeal of William “Casey” McDonald in his case with the city. Reed’s decision backs a Geneva City Court ruling last year by Judge Tim Buckley.

According to court documents, in May 2018 Susan and Leah Coleman were tenants living at 300 Castle St. in Geneva, a building owned by McDonald. The city building inspector was called by an employee of Ontario County Child Protective Services regarding the condition of the premises.

In court papers, the inspector found the premises to be in disrepair, unsanitary, pest infested and having multiple state code violations, along with health and safety maintenance violations. The inspector ordered the residence to be vacated and filed a proceeding in city court.