Warsaw property owners who have been cited for building code or zoning violations, take notice - Larry Clifford, the city's hearing officer, is sending one strong message.

"No more excuses!"

Clifford delivered that message Monday to Cathy Hutchinson, 421 W. Fort Wayne St. Hutchinson and her husband, Tom, were fined $1,000 in May for violating the city's building codes for having old appliances, building materials, junked cars and other rubbish strewn throughout their yard.

Clifford imposed a second $1,000 fine if the yard is not cleaned up by July 6.

"I don't want any more excuses. I want this junk yard - this threat to public safety, this threat to the children of the neighborhood - cleaned up," Clifford said. "I don't want to hear more excuses."

Hutchinson claimed to not have been aware of the violations, nor the May fine, having not been notified of the hearing. Warsaw building inspector Pam Kennedy told Clifford notice was served on the Hutchinsons by leaving the notice of order affixed to the door of the residence.

In a second case, Clifford told Stan Long that his property at 2411 E. Hendricks St. must be cleaned and secured, and the unlicensed vehicles on the property must be properly licensed by June 30, or Long will be fined $1,000.

Long claimed the abandoned building and lot were in such disrepair because he had been in FLorida with his wife, who is ill. Clifford said Long has had sufficient time to correct the violations.

"We all have problems we must deal with, Mr. Long. But you have a responsibility to get this property cleaned up and the building secured," he said.

In other cases, Clifford took the indicated actions:

• Glenda and J.C. Wood, 509 N. Columbia St., were given until Aug. 13 to correct plumbing and electric code violations and until Nov. 20 to correct exterior code violations, or face a $500 fine on each.

• Marcius Miller, 221 N. Columbia St., was fined $750 for electric service and environmental violations if they were not corrected by today. Apartment unit A was ordered vacated and sealed until the electrical violations were corrected by a licensed electrician.

• Adessa Williams, 2119 E. Hendricks St., was fined $1,000, to be imposed if electrical code violations were not corrected by July 30.

• Kevin and Mark Music, of Gipper Development Co., LLC, were fined $1,000, with the imposition postponed until July 16, for improper grading and seeding of the mobile home lot at 3100 Old Colony Road. [[In-content Ad]]