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Posted on Sat, Feb 19, 2011 : 5:58 a.m.

Judge to Ypsilanti Mobile Village owner: Finish clearing park or go to jail

By Tom Perkins

A judge is giving Ypsilanti Mobile Village owner Dominic D’Mello 45 days to finish clearing the shuttered trailer park — or D'Mello will end up in jail.

D’Mello was held in contempt of court on Wednesday for failing to comply with a Jan. 12 order to make significant progress in clearing the park of all remaining trailers, infrastructure and other debris.

Ypsilanti Mobile Home Park_6.jpg

One of the remaining mobile homes is shown in this file photo.

Tom Perkins | For AnnArbor.com

Wednesday’s compliance hearing came 34 days after Washtenaw County Circuit Judge Donald Shelton issued the order. D’Mello had a company clear the abandoned trailers from the park and demolished one building, but told Shelton he is broke and can’t complete the job.

On Wednesday, Shelton told D’Mello he had 45 days to finish the job or will be remanded to the Washtenaw County Jail until the cleanup is done.

“Our main goal is to get the property cleaned up and, obviously, at some point, the court has no choice but to enforce its order,” township attorney Doug Winters said. “It was a balanced and appropriate way for the judge to proceed.”

Two structures still need to be demolished and removed, as do a number of other items, which the township photographed and provided as evidence to Shelton. Those include piles of garbage and debris, tie-downs and concrete pads on which the trailers sat, uncapped sewer lines and electrical boxes, and other above-ground electric utilities.

A company hired to complete the cleanup estimated it would cost between $75,000 and $100,000. The two parties meet again in front of Shelton on April 6.

“He used the excuse that he didn’t have the money to do the job, but of course he has the money to hire attorneys to defend this case,” Winters said. “He has the money to hire attorneys to get the case reversed as opposed to knocking down a few buildings.”

D'Mello couldn't be reached for comment.

Shelton's threat of jail time is the latest step in months of wrangling to get the abandoned park cleaned up and secured.

In December, D’Mello filed for bankruptcy in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Detroit just hours before he was to appear in Washtenaw County Circuit Court for a show cause hearing. That placed a stay on any further legal action against D’Mello.

A U.S. Bankruptcy Court judge ruled at an emergency appeal a week later that the bankruptcy didn't protect D’Mello from the township seeking to enforce its ordinances.

D’Mello’s attorney, Lawrence Swistaksent a letter to township attorneys on Jan. 3 informing them D’Mello intended to clean up the park. After the Jan. 16 hearing, work crews began clearing the park, but didn't finish the job. 

Among the issues listed in the original December compliant:

  • Raw sewage was leaking from several residences. 
  • A woman reported being dragged into an abandoned trailer and raped in October.
  • Water lines were broken, causing contaminated water to flow back into the system.
  • The township spent thousands of dollars securing the abandoned mobile homes, which scrappers broke open and stripped of anything of value, including the trailers’ siding. 
  • Squatters had taken up residence in at least one unit.
  • Natural gas leaked from broken gas lines. 
  • Prostitution activity increased, prompting the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Department and Ypsilanti Police Department to conduct special joint operations in the area. 
  • Colonies of feral cats and wild dogs roamed the park. 
  • The Sheriff’s Department had to set up a foot patrol in the park, and the area continues to require significant police resources. 
  • Former residents’ belongings and trash were strewn throughout the park.
Tom Perkins is a freelance writer for AnnArbor.com. Reach the news desk at news@annarbor.com or 734-623-2530.

Comments

sailor67

Sun, Feb 20, 2011 : 5:01 p.m.

Mobile home park developers prefer the term ... "pre-manufactured land-lease developments".

Ann English

Sat, Feb 19, 2011 : 11:36 p.m.

You wrote, "original December compliant" instead of "original December complaint". If he had been compliant, there would have been no complaint.

Mick52

Sat, Feb 19, 2011 : 8:35 p.m.

Isn't "trailer park" now considered a derogatory word we are not supposed to use any more? I thought the politically correct terms are "mobile home" and "prefabricated housing." Interesting dilemma if he really does not have the money. $75 to $100 grand is a lot of dough. Thing is, once you put them in the can, the money seems to turn up as if by magic. Note to self: Do not invest in trailer parks.

Kafkaland

Sat, Feb 19, 2011 : 7:48 p.m.

Mabe he could be sentenced to jail work instead of jail? Picking up trash along the highways, etc? This way the punishment would fit the crime, and wwe won't have to pay for his incarceration?

djm12652

Sat, Feb 19, 2011 : 3:48 p.m.

@jondhall...I took away the impression this park is closed by the terminology of the author..."shuttered". Do you know if there are residents living in this blight? If so, how sad.

jondhall

Sat, Feb 19, 2011 : 4:05 p.m.

Multiple stories on this , no longer any occupants ,thanks to Township officials , if the owner had his way he would still be operating this Slum.

jondhall

Sat, Feb 19, 2011 : 2:26 p.m.

That means on April fools day he goes to jail. No sympathy this time must be cleaned or jail . Time to make an example if necessary , the residents deserve to no longer have to look at this blight !

ypsi

Sat, Feb 19, 2011 : 1:26 p.m.

I think that Mr. D'Mellow has tried in good faith since the order to get the job done.We must remember that it is winter and we have more snow than usual.That being said another 45 days should give him the time needed.