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Cleanup begins at massive Highland Park fire

Posted at 7:13 PM, May 18, 2016
and last updated 2016-05-18 21:16:35-04

Three months after a huge fire in Highland Park destroyed businesses and forced neighbors to be evacuated, 7 Action News is learning new information about the registered owner and problems at the property.

Records show the property was purchased in 2012 by Hamilton Ave. Property Holding, LLC, a company connected to Jeffrey Seskin. 

Since being purchased by the company, taxes have gone unpaid, parts of the building didn’t have running water and according to DTE, gas service ended in June, 2014 and there hasn’t been active electric service since February 1, 2016. 

The fire broke out a couple days later.

A 2013 fire inspection report shows an inspector cited several fire safety violations, including no fire alarm or active fire alarm divides and a sprinkler system test was out of date. 

Highland Park Fire Chief Kevin Coney tells 7 Action News, the cause of the fire remains under investigation and the owner will be held responsible for clean up of the site and he could face citations for violations.  

7 Action News has made repeated attempts to talk with Seskin, he has yet to respond.

Click on the video player to watch the full report.

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