CORTLAND, NY (607NewsNow) – Cortland is handing down the largest fine in the city’s history.

On August 4, a Code Enforcement Office fine of $53,250 was upheld in Cortland City Court, which found that the owners of a former animal welfare nonprofit were guilty of violating the 2020 NYS Property Maintenance Code, as well as city ordinances.

The penalties have reportedly been accruing for Purr Fect World, Inc. since buildings on the property were declared unsafe in March 2025 and ordered to be demolished by the Cortland Common Council.

According to the Cortland Standard, the property was once linked to the discovery of hundreds of dead, injured, and malnourished cats.