Philip C. Pulley, 62, a Huntington Valley resident and local landowner, was a focus in a story by The Philadelphia Inquirer regarding a June 7 four-alarm fire that gutted a vacant West Philadelphia apartment building previously owned by Pulley.
The Philadelphia Fire Marshal’s Office has ruled that the fire was deliberately set and an arson investigation has been launched. You can watch the fire’s aftermath below:
According to the story, Pulley had neglected the building “for several years” and evicted all residents in 2018 to make way for a sale that never happened.
“Instead, Pulley took out a $25 million mortgage on the property and an adjacent complex, called Dorsett Court, which is also vacant,” The Inquirer wrote. “Records show Pulley has since defaulted on the loan, which ostensibly was for construction work. The low-rise buildings have continued to deteriorate, racking up a slew of violations from the Philadelphia Department of Licenses and Inspections.”
Philadelphia councilmember Jamie Gauthier wants the city to do a better job of holding Pulley and other landlords accountable.
“Whether there are 100 tenants in a building or zero, landlords have a responsibility to maintain their properties to the standards mandated by law,” Gauthier said in a statement. “I am angry that the slumlord owner of this building ignored very serious safety concerns and that the City of Philadelphia did not compel them to fix the property even though it had several L&I violations, including fire safety ones.”
In January, Pulley was sentenced to three years’ probation, 100 hours of community service, a fine of $9,500, and a $400 special assessment, for committing multiple election fraud offenses.
He was first charged with falsely registering to vote, double voting, and election fraud in August. Pulley, owner of the Abington Township-based SBG Management Services, Inc., which manages Jenkins Court in Jenkintown and the former Old York Road Skating Club in Elkins Park, pleaded guilty in a Philadelphia federal court in September 2024, the same month he had a $60 million federal lawsuit filed against him by Fannie Mae over seven defaulted mortgages.
Pulley’s landlord activities in greater Glenside and beyond were profiled by the Philadelphia Inquirer in early September 2024.
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Screengrab: Youtube