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Vizenta Garza, 724 N. Ellsworth St., appeared before Warsaw code enforcement officer Lawrence Clifford Monday to talk about the items in his yard.
Building inspector Todd Slabaugh said there were two unused refrigerators, several garden tractors, a trailer full of junk items, inoperable vehicles with flat tires and other piles of refuse on lots 53 through 57 in Lakeside Park.
Twelve color photographs taken Jan. 15 showing the junk were submitted as evidence.
Slabaugh said neighbors' complaints began in July, and a "friendly" letter was sent to Garza in August. A visit to the property Feb. 14 showed no improvement, Slabaugh said.
Garza maintained a number of things had been accomplished over the weekend. One car's tires were reinflated and the car was relocated to the parking area.
The two refrigerators have had the freon removed and are at the alley awaiting pickup. The garden tractors have been moved to the garden area and will be removed "tonight or tomorrow."
The dilapidated trailer full of junk also has been taken away, Garza said.
"Piles of junk remain in the yard, though. You understand you've made a mini-junkyard out of your property against city ordinance," Clifford said to Garza.
He imposed a civil penalty of $1,000, which will be removed if the property is in compliance by noon on April 21.
A $1,000 fine also was imposed on the Economy Inn, 3521 Lake City Highway, for noncompliance of fire codes.
No one representing the hotel appeared at the meeting. Warsaw Fire Inspector Mike Wilson said walk-through inspections in August, October and November showed the fire system in rooms 119 and 139 failed a "sensitivity test."
"The system is old enough to be replaced," Wilson said. "It's on and active but we can't guarantee it works in each room," Wilson said.
According to Wilson, the hotel's management said representatives of Hari Om Inc., the corporation owning the building, have never visited the property.
Clifford asked if the establishment hadn't had problems a few years ago.
Wilson said it is one and the same, and rooms sited for noncompliance have simply been closed to renters.
In the third and final case, the city sought and received an order for demolition of the house at 708 Brown Drive, owned by John and Bonnie Fitzpatrick.
Slabaugh said the mortgage is held by PCFS Mortgage Co. The residence is unsecured and has been vacant for almost two years.
A fire that started in a backyard shed in November about finished the house, too, the commissioner added.
He gave an estimate of $42,000 for repairs and a cost of $3,000 for demolition.
