Perry resident complains about home citations

Perry resident John Richter told City Council members at Monday’s work session he felt city code violations were unevenly enforced.

Richter, who lives on Main Street, said he collects and restores antique tractors, and he currently has seven code violations. He said he’s currently remodeling his house in order to sell it and has boxes in his front yard among the 8-inch-tall dandelions.

“I do not deny the violations,” Richter said, “but I am keeping up with this, and right here at the fire department there is a turned over trash can, and the same dandelions that are on my property are 9 inches tall over there.”

He added there is an old gas station building near the Board of Education building that is in disrepair but nothing is being done about it while he was given five days to clean up his yard and mow the grass.

“My question to the council is these 19 citations are coming from who?” he said. “I call the city garage and they have got kudzu growing over the fence that’s been there at least three months.”

Richter showed pictures of what he said were abandoned police cars, one with a flat tire.

“Y’all are pointing fingers at me because I got a 1951 antique Farmall fully restored in my yard,” he said.

Richter questioned whether a contractor sent by the city to clean up his yard is licensed because he’s being charged a lot of money for cleanup.

Mayor Jimmy Faircloth told City Manager Lee Gilmour to investigate the matter and get the answers to Richter’s questions.

Faircloth said the city has been dealing with the owner of the abandoned gas station for some years, “and though it may not appear so, something is being done about it.”

He also told Richter a mobile home parked by the fire station was not a residence but the city’s mobile command center and was not in violation of any code.

“Mr. Richter, we will work with you on these things,” he said.

“I’m not seeing that,” Richter answered. “I keep getting letters over this stupid stuff.”

He apologized “for being so arrogant,” but added it seems to him the city keeps giving out citations to upset people.

HHJ News