Investigating Associated Building Inspections Ephrata Complaints: The Private Company with Public Power

INVESTIGATION TARGET: ASSOCIATED BUILDING INSPECTIONS, LLC (ABI)

HQ LOCATION: 1248 WEST MAIN STREET, SUITE 23, EPHRATA PA 17522

ROLE: THIRD-PARTY CODE ENFORCEMENT

ALLEGATION: SELECTIVE ENFORCEMENT / GROSS NEGLIGENCE

KEYWORDS: #EphrataCodeEnforcement #ABI #PublicSafetyFailure

I. THE GRASS POLICE VS. THE BONE FACTORY

In Ephrata, under Chapter 245 of the Borough Code (Ordinance 1577), you can be fined for having grass that is ten inches tall. You can be threatened with a lien on your home if your paint is chipping. You can be harassed by the Borough for the "curb appeal" of your front porch.

Yet, at 100 Washington Avenue, Jonathan Gerlach was allegedly operating a "macabre museum" of 100 human skulls and rotting flesh in his basement, and the code enforcement officers never saw a thing.

How does this happen? How do we have a system so obsessed with aesthetics that it misses a literal house of horrors? The answer lies in the privatization of public authority. The House of Skulls Ephrata PA is not just a police failure; it is the catastrophic result of Ephrata code enforcement failures driven by profit over people.

II. THE ENTITY: WHO IS ABI?

Most residents assume that when a code officer knocks on their door, they are speaking to the government. They are wrong.

Ephrata Borough outsources its enforcement to Associated Building Inspections, LLC (ABI). They are a private, for-profit company based in Suite 23 on West Main Street. They are not elected. They are contracted.

This distinction matters. When you privatize public safety, you turn citizens into customers and fines into revenue. The Ephrata Borough corruption allegations we are investigating suggest a "pay-to-play" dynamic where the "Shadow Government" enforces rules selectively to drive up property values while ignoring the rot inside.

They wield the power of the state—the power to condemn, to fine, and to inspect—without the accountability of a public servant. They are the private company with public power.

DISTANCE TO CRIME SCENE: 1.8 Miles. DRIVE TIME: 5 Minutes. ABI Headquarters is located less than two miles from where 100 bodies were stored. They drove past this house for years.

III. THE "CURB APPEAL" BLIND SPOT

Why did they miss Gerlach? Because Gerlach fit the profile of a "Good Resident."

The "Revitalization" strategy in Ephrata is skin-deep. It is obsessed with facades. It is driven by a desire to boost real estate prices by harassing low-income residents and the elderly into selling or fixing up their homes. This is "Zoning as a Weapon."

Because the exterior of 100 Washington Avenue looked "respectable," the system assumed the interior was safe. This is the fatal flaw of the "Curb Appeal" doctrine. By focusing their resources on measuring grass height to attract tourists, they created a massive blind spot where a predator could operate a human remains trade Pennsylvania hub without interruption.

IV. THE GERLACH NEGLIGENCE

We are formally demanding the records regarding Associated Building Inspections Ephrata complaints and inspection logs for the Gerlach property. The facts we have uncovered paint a picture of total systemic incompetence.

THE TIMELINE OF FAILURE A breakdown of the missed opportunities to stop the Bone Collector.

The Jonathan Gerlach investigation must answer these questions:

1. The Illegal Rental Inquiry: Gerlach was the deed holder, but reports indicate housemates lived at the property. Was he collecting rent? If so, 100 Washington Avenue was functioning as an unlicensed rental unit. Did ABI fail to enforce the Rental Occupancy Ordinance because Gerlach was the owner?
2. The "Home Occupation" Violation: Gerlach was not just living there; he was running a global shipping logistics center for human remains. As the property owner, he was legally required to secure a Home Occupation Permit and pass a zoning check. Did he file? If not, how did a business of this scale operate for years without a single zoning citation?
3. The "Owner-Occupied" Blind Spot: In Ephrata, rental properties face mandatory inspections. Owner-occupied homes do not. Did Gerlach use his status as a homeowner to hide behind the privacy protections that renters don't get? Does owning a home in Ephrata grant you immunity from the law as long as your grass is cut?

If ABI inspected that home and missed 100 skulls, they are incompetent. If they never inspected it because Gerlach was "one of the good ones" (a homeowner), they are complicit in the negligence.

V. CALL TO ACTION: THE VICTIM LOG

I am compiling a dossier of Associated Building Inspections Ephrata complaints. I know I am not the only one. I know there are grandmothers in this borough who have been terrified by demand letters from this private LLC.

If you have been targeted for "blight," "high grass," or arbitrary code violations while the House of Skulls operated unchecked, you are a victim of Ephrata enterprise.

Send your stories to the Sunshine Firecracker tipline. We are building the class action of public opinion. Read the Full Manifesto Here.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (CODE ENFORCEMENT)

Q: Is Associated Building Inspections (ABI) a government agency? A: No. They are a private, third-party LLC contracted by Ephrata Borough to enforce code.

Q: Where can I file Associated Building Inspections Ephrata complaints? A: Complaints should be directed to the Ephrata Borough Council, but we strongly advise documenting your grievance publicly with the Sunshine Firecracker investigation first.

Q: Did ABI inspect the House of Skulls Ephrata PA? A: We have filed Right-to-Know requests to determine if the property was ever flagged. However, because Gerlach owned the home, he may have been exempt from the mandatory inspections that target renters.

🚨 Continue the Investigation

The police failed. The borough failed. The media is silent.

⬅️ Previous: Chapter 18: Mayor Ralph Mowen & The 'House of Skulls' (The civilian head of the police has some explaining to do.)

➡️ Next: Chapter 20: The Media Blackout (Why local news frames this as a "Delaware County" story to protect Ephrata real estate.)

Or, return to the Case File: 📂 Inside the House of Skulls: The Complete Investigation Hub

© 2026 SUNSHINE FIRECRACKER / DR. JENNIFER GAYLE SAPPINGTON, J.D. All Rights Reserved. This content is protected by the First Amendment of the United States Constitution.

EDITORIAL NOTE & DISCLAIMER: This article is an investigative report and opinion piece based on public records, court dockets, news reports, and independent analysis. All individuals mentioned, including Jonathan Gerlach and officials of Ephrata Borough/Associated Building Inspections (ABI), are presumed innocent of any criminal charges until proven guilty in a court of law.

Statements regarding "negligence," "failure," or "corruption" represent the author's opinion and interpretation of systemic issues and are not statements of criminal fact. The term "Shadow Government" is used metaphorically to describe non-elected entities exercising public authority.

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