The 10 Most Cited Properties in Watertown

The Watertown Post

Some houses in Watertown have more violations than windows.

The Watertown Post compiled city code enforcement data to identify the ten worst residential offenders — many of which have racked up double-digit complaints with little or no remediation. Five of them are owned by just two landlords.

City officials declined to comment on the enforcement gap. But nearby residents say they’re tired of reporting the same properties over and over again.

🔻 Below are the city’s ten most-cited properties and their current owners:

1. 232 West Main Street – Owner: Tyler Weese

This 43-unit apartment building earned an “F” grade from code enforcement in 2024 due to vermin infestations, plumbing hazards, and unsafe electrical work. In July of that year, the city officially condemned the property, displacing over 20 tenants.
Weese — a local landlord and sports team owner — has not completed the required repairs, and the building remains boarded up and in foreclosure proceedings.
📰 WWNY Report on the Condemnation

2. 661 Factory Street – Owner: Linda Mercer

Once a multi-unit motel, this building was condemned in August 2021 following violations for bed bug infestation, electrical hazards, and failing plumbing. It became infamous when dozens of displaced residents were forced to live in a nearby “tent city.”
Mercer began partial renovations in 2022 but has not brought the building back into compliance as of mid-2025.
📰 WWNY Coverage of Factory Street Crisis

3. 415 Gotham Street – Owner: Larry Danza

This six-unit property has seen multiple citations for trash accumulation, syringes in the yard, and unsanitary conditions. Danza told reporters that squatters broke in and created a mess, but he’s struggled to evict them.
Despite repeated city citations, neighbors say the conditions keep returning.
📰 WWNY Report on 415 Gotham

4. 628 Boyd Street – Owner: Sam Ratnaransy

Neighbors describe this small Boyd Street home as a perpetual trash magnet. It sat vacant for months, with furniture and junk lining the curb, until the city hauled it away.
Ratnaransy failed to address the code violation and was charged a $250 cleanup fee, which he tried to dispute. The mess has reportedly returned since.
📄 City Code Enforcement Document (PDF)

5. 10 Seymour Street – Owner: (Tax Lien held by Patricia Fay)

Chronic code issues — unmowed lawns, snow-covered sidewalks, trash — led the city to levy charges onto the tax bill multiple times.
Fay acquired the lien in 2021, but the house remains in limbo. Residents say the property looks abandoned and is a magnet for rodents.
📄 City Code Record (PDF)

6. 548 Pearl Street – Owner: Patrick Ratnaransy

One of the oldest homes in the city, built in 1830. Since being purchased by out-of-state investor Patrick Ratnaransy in 2020 for $100,000, neighbors say the property has remained vacant, overgrown, and deteriorating.
🔗 Property Transfer Coverage – Newzjunky

7. 640 Boyd Street – Owner: MD Rajibul Islam Khan Ajit

This 1842 home was transferred to Ajit in 2020. Neighbors report zero maintenance and claim the home is essentially abandoned.
Complaints include peeling paint, rotting porch supports, and unmowed grass.
🔗 Newzjunky Property Record

8. 513 Frontenac Street – Owner: REM Rental Properties LLC

Purchased by an Evans Mills landlord group in 2020, this four-bedroom home has seen code violations for parking, garbage, and structural neglect.
The city’s Vacant Homes registry classifies it as “needs rehab.”
🔗 REM Purchase Report – Newzjunky

9. 624 Alexandria Avenue – Owner: REM Rental Properties LLC

Also owned by REM, this home was bought in foreclosure and has remained largely untouched.
It’s known for gutter collapse, yard violations, and being chronically vacant.
🔗 Newzjunky Archive: Alexandria Sale

10. 654 Emerson Street – Owner: Edward Smalls

A former VA foreclosure purchased for $20,000 in 2020, this two-family house is in severe disrepair.
Neighbors complain about a collapsing roof and unsecured windows. No visible rehab work has occurred since the sale.
🔗 Newzjunky Record of Sale

🧾 In Summary:

These ten addresses have become symbols of Watertown’s housing enforcement breakdown. They range from crumbling duplexes to large apartment blocks — some owned by local figures, others by absentee landlords or LLCs.

➡️ Notably, two names dominate the list:

The Ratnaransy family (Sam and Patrick)
REM Rental Properties LLC (owners of two homes on this list)

Meanwhile, neighbors continue to report the same problems — again and again.

“It’s an eyesore… we’ll be pretty grateful to see it go,” said one resident near a recently demolished condemned property.
📰 WWNY Report on City Demolitions