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Centertown residents angry over chairman's illegal trailer home
Posted: 01.12.2012 at 10:18 PM
Updated: 01.12.2012 at 10:40 PM
Meghan Lane

Meghan is a Live at Sunrise anchor.

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CENTERTOWN -- A much anticipated meeting was held in Centertown Thursday night.

 

The board of trustees called a special meeting over a trailer parked in front of a home.

 

But, according to city ordinances, trailers are illegal in the small community, and that home isn't just anybody's home, it's the chairman’s.

 

Residents in Centertown are fed up with how the city ordinances are upheld.

 

Thursday night's special meeting revolved around Charles Ellis, Centertown's chairman.

 

"It's time to step up, it's illegal, the trailer shouldn't be there, it's time for it to go, you guys need to vote on it," resident Scott Call said.

 

"As chairman of the board he should be well aware of what the ordinances of the city are,” resident Sherry Kempf said. “Why does he have the right and the ability to break any ordinance he feels he has the right to do."

 

Ellis had a trailer moved directly in front of his Centertown home in December.

 

Ellis said it's there because his current home behind it needs to be torn down.

 

"The house is trying to come down on us and we need to get out of there,” Ellis said. “You said something about why didn't we move somewhere else, if we did, who was going to watch the stuff to keep it from walking off?”

 

Neighbors said the trailer is an eyesore.

 

"It looks awful and i think it causes the property value for all of us to go down," Kempf said.

 

But the city ordinance, passed in the 90's says "from and after the passage of this ordinance it shall be unlawful for any person, to place, keep and/or maintain any house trailer used for human habitation upon any lot, piece or parcel of land within the Village of Centertown."

 

They are not allowed and so we hated to see one get put in by the chairman of the board, which would then set a precedent that everyone could put one in town if they wanted to and before you know it, we'd be nothing but a glorified trailer park," Kempf said.

 

At the meeting, which Ellis was not allowed to be at, board members unanimously voted that in fact the trailer was against the city ordinance and has to be moved.

 

The board said they will send a letter to Ellis to inform him he has ten days to remove the trailer from the property or he will be fined.


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