UPDATE: City says it will bill the owner $7,100. A property lien is possible.
Quincy The city has cleaned up a property near 2nd and Sycamore that has been punished for years for violating ordinances.
A court order was obtained by Mayor Linda Moore’s Nuisance Team to have workers move in and clear the backyard, which was overflowing with trash, including an estimated 100 tires.
Michael Seaver, Director of Inspections and Enforcement, stated in a statement to Muddy River News Friday afternoon that the entire cost of hiring the contractor and getting rid of the property’s belongings came to $7,100. Except for any automobiles with a VIN, which were seized by a nearby towing firm at no expense to the City, the contractor removed all materials.
According to Seaver, Tony Christ, the property owner, will be billed by the city.
A lien for those expenses should be filed if the invoice is not paid. The City may eventually foreclose on the lien and seize the property. Together with all related court expenses, the total fines to date come to $425. The current date of the review hearing is September 25, 2025.
Christ informed MRN that he had the freedom to keep whatever he wanted on his land as recently as August 5.
Assistant Corporation Counsel Judy Abbott successfully argued that the quantity of scrap and auto parts alone violated the area’s residential zoning, but he failed to show up for this most recent court hearing. Judge Tad G. Brenner took it a step further and told Christ to stay out of the way while crews cleaned up.
Alderman Jeff Bergman provided an explanation of why these matters take so long to conclude in an article published in May of this year. At the time, Bergman stated, “There are three guys trying to clean this entire city because there are a lot of lazy people out there who don’t want to be a good neighbor.”
We were informed that he has a policy of speaking to the media only following city council sessions when MRN requested comment on this most recent event.
Following the court decision, Seaver stated that the city aims to collaborate with property owners and avoid taking on as many cases as they did with Mr. Christ.
Three days is how long it took someone in the area to clear out the property. On condition of anonymity, they informed MRN that the final items were taken out on Wednesday, August 19. MRN will make sure to update the story if the city reports a new time period.
Someone else who said they were in the vicinity of the house earlier this week reported seeing someone who met Mr. Christ’s description carrying some bags away. Occasionally, the same man was also heard saying something like, “Oh no, not that,” although the individual acknowledged that they were far away.
The property now has a no trespassing sign.
