By Thane Grauel

WESTPORT — A house on Pin Oak Court, vacant five years since the owner died and with a history involving banks in several states and the federal government, has neighbors concerned.

One issue, according to neighbors’ comments at a recent meeting of the town’s Blight Prevention Board, is that the grass hadn’t been mowed for some time.

Also, one neighbor said later, the neighborhood has private roads that require dues be paid. That hasn’t been happening for No. 28.

At the blight board’s Aug. 11 meeting, however, the property wasn’t deemed troublesome enough to be placed on the blighted list. Grass height was left out of the regulations for the board when it was created 10 years ago, one member noted.

Neighbors were advised to keep an eye on the property, and to let the board know if they see signs of animal infestation or other problems it could act on.

Neighbors have been trying to figure out who really owns the property since the owner of record, Dominick A. Postorino, died. He is still listed as the owner, according to land records, and both the Town Clerk and Assessor offices.

A woman with a Redding address is listed as a “in care of” address.

But one of the neighbors, Judith Thomas, told the board she had talked with that woman, the daughter of the owner, who has since relocated to Tennessee. Thomas said the woman told her she doesn’t own the house.

Thomas said she also talked with a property management firm that had been maintaining the grounds, but then stopped.

Thomas said it seemed there was a reverse mortgage, and that the federal department of Housing and Urban Development, and banks in different states, were somehow involved.

Michelle Onofrio of the Building Department said she would ask an assistant town attorney, who has expertise in navigating land records, to try to figure out who really owns the property.

The Westport Journal reached out to HUD, seeking information on how it is, or had been, involved.

According to HUD, the property had been part of its Federal Housing Administration’s Home Equity Conversion Mortgage program. That’s a fancy name for reverse mortgage.

But HUD, in February 2022, sold the mortgage to BSI Financial Services. BSI is incorporated in Delaware, and headquartered in Irving, Texas.

“The property formerly had an FHA Home Equity Conversion mortgage for which HUD had custodial care from March 2018 through February 2022,” HUD told the Westport Journal. “The mortgage note was sold to BSI Financial Services, who took control of the mortgage in February 2022.”

BSI could not be reached for comment.

But, there might be a glimmer of hope.

A visit to the property last week revealed the grass has been cut, perhaps for the first time in many months, even with Uncle Sam out of the picture.

Thomas said a two-man crew had done the work, but she didn’t know who sent them.

Still, she noted, the land dues haven’t been paid in five years.

Thane Grauel, the Westport Journal executive editor, grew up in Westport and has been a journalist in Fairfield County and beyond more than three decades. Learn more about us here.