LEETONIA Village to target yards full of junk

The police chief said there are unsightly areas in nearly every neighborhood.
By NANCY TULLIS
VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU
LEETONIA -- Village officials here are hoping landowners will clean up property without a trip to court.
Police Chief John Soldano and Scott Garlough, village zoning inspector, are cracking down on about 25 residents and absentee landlords with inoperable or unregistered vehicles, appliances and other junk in their yards.
Soldano said leaving such items in yards is in violation of one or more village ordinances and could result in a fine and court costs of up to $150.
Unsightly areas: He said that there are unsightly areas in nearly every village neighborhood and that council wants an increased emphasis on cleaning up the town.
"We want a nice community," Soldano said. "We're not looking to make money by taking people to court. We want them to volunteer to take care of the problems before the situation gets to court."
Soldano said about 25 residents and absentee landlords are in violation of village ordinances regarding junk vehicles, appliances and other messes. They should be receiving letters from Garlough regarding the violations, he said.
Those who don't comply by the deadlines given in the letters will be cited in mayor's court, he said.
Soldano said some residents may not realize they are violating village laws. He said even some longtime residents aren't certain what the laws are.
About laws: He said zoning laws prohibit parking junk vehicles on property, but other laws restrict parking even registered vehicles in certain areas.
Residents should not leave cars parked in their front yards for any length of time, for example, not even ones that are for sale.
Soldano added that some residents attempting to sell vehicles have left them in their yards for several months.
tullis@vindy.com