County gets tough on messy yards

A new ordinance in Asotin County may require that yards like this one be cleaned up a bit.

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Story Published: Jan 12, 2009 at 11:30 PM PDT

Story Updated: Jan 12, 2009 at 11:36 PM PDT

By Stephanie Smith

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ASOTIN - Clean up your yard or they might do it for you and send you the bill.

A new ordinance in Asotin County targets yards that get trashy and the sheriff's office is ready to crack down.

"The first fine is $125, the second fine if they still don't get the hint is $250 and the third and subsequent are $500 dollars each," said Asotin County Sheriff Ken Bancroft. "At any point during this whole process, they can contact the county and they will go out and clean the mess up and then send the person the bill. If they don't want to pay up on that then we will take other legal means to get reimbursed for whatever it costs us."

Bancroft said they have already handed out a couple warnings. He said junky yards are easy to find.

"A lot of junk vehicles lying around that meet the criteria, old furniture, appliances, stacks of wood that have no rhyme or reason other than just scrap wood," said Bancroft. "If it's stacked up neatly, we don't get too much upset about that. Firewood is not going to be a problem."

Bancroft said from Anatone to the Heights, junky yards have been an ongoing problem. He said if you know of a junky yard that you want cleaned up to call his office.

"If they have a neighbor...they can call us and we'll go out and take a look at it," said Bancroft. "Again it's a judgment call on our part, we may not agree with the complainant and opt not to take corrective action, but chances are outstanding that we will."

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