Dublin Police and the city of Dublin executed a warrant Tuesday, June 25, removing more than 30 vehicles and scrap material from a property in the city limits, capping off several months of trying to resolve code issues.
Police Chief Cameron Ray reported that the PD first became aware of the issues when investigating criminal activity in the neighborhood and saw multiple inoperable vehicles from the roadway.
According to city ordinance, junked vehicles visible from public places or roadsides are considered a public nuisance because they are “detrimental to the safety and welfare of the general public, reduce the value of private property, invite vandalism, create fire hazards, constitute an attractive nuisance creating a hazard to the health and safety of minors and produce urban blight.”
Ray said they researched the property from aerial photography and saw the amount of vehicles on site continued to grow since 2020.
Code Enforcement Officer Keith Riley contacted the property owner about the issues in January, according to Ray, who added that the city saw no corrective action after the meeting and actually noticed more vehicles on site.
On May 10, the city executed a search warrant on the property with Dublin PD gathering information from the 32 full or partial junk vehicles on the roughly acre lot while code enforcement documented code violations.
Ray reported the property in question is violating multiple other city code regulations including tampering with the water meter in the past, maintaining an open septic system, failure to utilize required city services and possible electrical code violations. “These conditions create a serious health and safety hazard for the community,” Ray asserted. City manager Bobby Mendez added that the scrap metal contained many jagged pieces and there was broken glass all over the yard.
After looking through information like VINs, the city located owners of the vehicles and sent certified letters on May 13, to allow them to pick up their vehicle. Although the letters stated owners 10 days to get the vehicles, owners had until last week to grab them before the city came in for abatement.
“We left it open-ended,” said Ray about the notices to the resident and vehicle owners. “We wanted to let them know if you call us to talk about it, we’re here to help you. We’re not here to take your cars.”
Ray and Mendez reported that two vehicle owners contacted the city and removed vehicles before abatement.
With no visible action, another warrant was sought and carried out Tuesday, June 25. Ray reported that the resident did not exit the building while property was being abated but they had intended to work with him and even brought translators to make sure there was no miscommunication.
Ray added that work was supposed to start at 8:30 a.m. but they delayed the start until around 9:45 a.m. as they were picking up hand tools and putting them into tubs. Mendez also reported that they didn’t touch anything that looked like there was any attempt to being preserved (such as being under a covering).
Ray reported that four new vehicles were on property as they worked with Glueck’s to tow them to the city yard while a large amount of scrap metal was also removed.
Criticism was leveled at the city by some when the abatement was reported with some asking if due diligence was done and whether the city was profiting from the items taken off the property.
Ray and Mendez reiterated the notifications that started with the resident and property owner in January and Ray said, “The city’s getting paid zero dollars for this.” Mendez reinforced that saying there is proper procedure for junk vehicle disposal and they are still allowing vehicle owners to contact them to reclaim their vehicle if they can provide a title and pay the towing fee paid by the city plus a storage fee. Ideally, the city would like to get vehicles back to owners in the next couple of weeks. (Owners can call city hall at 254-445-3331 for more information.)
Ray also responded to accusations about tools being taken, assuring that the focus was entirely on junk vehicles and scrap.
“I would say the route we took on this property is the most abrasive but it’s only because we had just flat noncompliance,” said Ray.
The city has reportedly since made contact with the resident who is already working on the remaining code violations and committed to cleaning up.
“As long as we see legitimate attempts to resolve the issue, we’ll work with you,” Mendez added “Even it’s just small steps forward, as long as it’s not backwards.”
The city code states that a junked vehicle may be kept if the tires are kept inflated at all times and no grass or weeds are growing more than 12 inches around or through the vehicle. If not parked under a carport, junked vehicles must be parked on an approved surface and covered with a proper vehicle cover in good condition.
If a vehicle is deemed a public nuisance, the owner will received a written notice giving 10 days to correct the issue. If it is not corrected within the period, the city may remove the vehicle and the owner may face fines of up to $200 per offense. Owners have the right to request a hearing within the 10-day notice period.
Both Mendez and Ray offered that their doors are always open for any questions, comments or concerns.