Man jailed over illegal fryer grease recycling factory in Ypsilanti Township
An 18-month battle to get an Ypsilanti Township man to bring his property up to code resulted in a 10-day jail term for running what officials called an illegal fryer grease recycling factory.
A judge sentenced Chris Kind to 10 days on April 28 after township officials tried to get Kind to submit site plans for the facility and bring his property up to code.
The township and Kind met in court eight times before Washtenaw County Circuit Judge David Swartz jailed Kind for contempt of court and failing to comply with his and the township’s orders.
According to a verified petition submitted to the court, Kind purchased the one-acre lot at 1854 Cadillac Street in a land contract in July 2009.
The facility used to house the Party Time Ice Company, which manufactured and distributed ice to neighboring businesses. Because the facility’s use was changed, Kind was required to submit a site plan to the township for approval of the changes.
The former ice warehouse presented a serious fire hazard when converted into a grease recycling factory and was used as a garage where Chris Kind worked on cars and mobile homes.
Tom Perkins | For AnnArbor.com
Kind did not return calls from AnnArbor.com. Township officials said Kind would purchase used fryer grease from area restaurants and recycle it, though they were unclear on the specifics of how the business worked.
Building Director Ron Fulton said officials first visited the property in September 2009 because it was littered with mobile home frames, dumpsters, commercial trucks, a dilapidated mobile classroom and numerous recreational items in disrepair. The township requested he clean the property, but a notice of violation went ignored.
Fulton said on a subsequent visit, it came to his attention that the former ice warehouse was utilized for a purpose different than manufacturing and storing ice. While inspecting the warehouse, Fulton discovered the walls were covered in a highly combustible foam used in ice storage, and the grease recycling, welding and other activities taking place in the building posed a serious fire risk.
Although Kind had clearly changed the use of this property, Township Attorney Dennis McLain said, he never obtained site plan approval as required by the township’s zoning code or approval from the planning commission.
After the notice of violation was issued in early October, Kind was cited for two civil infractions in late October, which he paid at the 14B District Court.
According to the verified petition, Kind agreed at that time to submit a site plan for review, but never did so. A June 2010 order from Swartz required Kind to submit a preliminary site plan to the township. When he neglected to do so, he was held in contempt of court in August and subsequently sentenced to 10 days in jail in February.
A new deadline of March 2 was set and Kind sent a preliminary site plan to the planning commission, but it wasn’t approved because of outstanding code violations Kind had yet to address.
McLain said that sentence was delayed as the court waited to see what kind of cooperation it got from Kind. But at each court appearance there were more flimsy excuses and explanations about why the work wasn’t being completed, McLain said.
1854 Cadillac Street
Tom Perkins | For AnnArbor.com
When the two parties met back in court on April 28 and work still wasn’t completed, Kind, who has been representing himself, was escorted to jail.
“When we were in court last time, the judge was fed up with Kind,” McLain said. “He had numerous violations outstanding, and, apparently, still needed to hire an engineer before he could prepare for a final site plan.
"He has an explanation and excuse for everything, but in essence we were going in circles and Judge Swartz agreed.”
As Kind was being led out of the courtroom, McLain said he told Swartz he would have everything completed by the end of May. McLain said he suspected it was an attempt to get Swartz to change his mind about the jailtime, but Swartz only set a new court date for June 10.
McLain said he is skeptical everything will be completed, but Fulton said someone recently applied for a permit to put up drywall over the combustible foam.
Comments
15crown00
Tue, May 17, 2011 : 10:58 p.m.
if this is so bad why did u wait 18 months to act on the code violation. There has to be more important thins to do than dealing with grease recycling.
OverTaxed
Tue, May 17, 2011 : 2:17 p.m.
It's a free country as long as you do and say what the government approves of. Have you ever lived anywhere with so many rules? I think freedom means free to do what they want to us. Name a few things that the government does not dictate the rules for... If you say breathing, try again, talk to the EPA about air quality. You cannot do anything without government approval.
Mike
Tue, May 17, 2011 : 12:12 p.m.
Lucky for him it wasn't high in trans fats. Pretty tough to scratch out a living anymore due to all of the safety and code issues surroounding trying to eat. The good news is that we have mechanisms in place to foreclose on his property and put him on welfare and food stamps (oh yeah, it's a bridge card now). Once he's forced to sell his property he can get government housing and health care.
Elaine F. Owsley
Tue, May 17, 2011 : 12:05 p.m.
During World War II a neighbor of ours collected used cooking grease from the neighborhood and made a soap that could be used for laundry or cleaning - not mild enough for skin. She returned the soap the the folks who had given her the grease and this went on for years. When I married and left home, I took a couple of bars to use in my own home. She didn't charge, the used grease disappeared and everyone was happy.
rusty shackelford
Tue, May 17, 2011 : 12:21 a.m.
They took away his precious retirement grease! Next thing you know it'll be a sting on Scotchtoberfest.
FaithInYpsi
Mon, May 16, 2011 : 11:48 p.m.
1bigbud...you got back up for the numbers you are talking about. Would like to see your facts.
montyman
Mon, May 16, 2011 : 11:28 p.m.
Why is everybody assuming this guy was recycling the oil to make biodiesel fuel? I assumed he was recycling the oil to sell back to restaurants.
Ralph
Mon, May 16, 2011 : 10:54 p.m.
It's common knowledge that biodiesel is made from vegetable grease. It probably a good thing the Township stepped in. If he tried to actually make biodiesel he could have created quite the mess in addition to a fire hazard. As far as the enforcement of the ordinance, it sounds like the Township bent over backwards to work with this guy. When there's a change of use it's pretty standard to require a site plan in order to protect the health, safety and welfare of the Township, residents and property owners.
sbbuilder
Mon, May 16, 2011 : 11:14 p.m.
Ralph As a rule, municipalities never bend over backward. They will, however, require you to bend forward...
DonBee
Mon, May 16, 2011 : 10:53 p.m.
I read this a bit differently. I don't think the biodiesel was the big deal. I think the trash and broken vehicles on the site were an issue. I also think that setting up to weld in a styrofoam lined ice warehouse was an issue. If the welder had caught the styrofoam on fire, anyone inside would have had trouble getting out. If the fire had consumed the building the cloud from the fire would have made folks in close businesses or homes sick. I bit of work to clean up and taking the advice of someone who knows fire safety probably would have solved this 9 court dates ago. I am all for biodiesel and local business. I can even understand the idea this guy might have been after a Darwin Award, but taking the chance on getting others sick from the fire, not my cup of tea.
montyman
Mon, May 16, 2011 : 9:14 p.m.
Click on the address in the article and than zoom in on the satallite photo. What a mess. And it looks like he has residential neighbors. Anybody who is defending this guy as an "entrepreneur" should be made to live next door to that fire hazard of a dump.
Wolf's Bane
Tue, May 17, 2011 : 11:39 a.m.
Looks perfectly suited for a small businesses. Might I suggest moving into another neighborhood?
Epengar
Mon, May 16, 2011 : 8:56 p.m.
Several posters are assuming the the operation was making biodiesel. There are several commercial uses of recycled grease, including additives in poultry feed and in soaps and emulsions. This has been true for decades, since long before development of biodiesel. He might just have been collecting it, filtering it and selling it to industrial customers. The toxic cloud that would have been created by a fire in the sort of facility described would be awful. I hope the operation is cleaned up.
Epengar
Mon, May 16, 2011 : 9:03 p.m.
Here's more about the market for "yellow grease" (refined waste grease), from a Canadian magazine: <a href="http://www.solidwastemag.com/issues/story.aspx?aid=1000203478&type=Print%20Archives" rel='nofollow'>http://www.solidwastemag.com/issues/story.aspx?aid=1000203478&type=Print%20Archives</a>
loveforthecity
Mon, May 16, 2011 : 8:12 p.m.
With the amount of potential bioharzds from illegal recycling of grease and this is not his first offense and with repeat warnings, 10 day periods in jail at the tax prayers expense is he really paying or learning a leason or is he getting a slap on the wrist
Christy King
Mon, May 16, 2011 : 8:02 p.m.
I am just personally fantastically curious what he plans to do with the oil. Might we be able to see a plan for that? Oh, and because I couldn't resist: "Killers and Rapists and Drunks! Oh my!" ...can't we write and submit our own freelance piece? Maybe one Saturday night someone can drill out some snappy journalism.
Wolf's Bane
Mon, May 16, 2011 : 7:22 p.m.
Unreal and sad were my first thoughts. How does this benefit anyone? He is clearly an entrepreneur and should be encouraged, not ticketed and jailed? I also think that calling his operation a "recycling factory" is misleading. Filtering and separating grease oil from solids is hardly factory work!!! Very sad story.
Mike
Tue, May 17, 2011 : 12:20 p.m.
He's better off starting a grow operation like a number of former legitimate business people who've been forced out of business by government regulation. Then we can all get high and feel good about this.
Wolf's Bane
Tue, May 17, 2011 : 11:38 a.m.
Street Crack Dealer? What do you specialize in potholes. What are you trying to say? No, rules and laws are there to protect all of us and we should all make an effort to follow these laws, but in this case, it seems more about a judge's ego than about enforcement of none-violent crime laws.
clownfish
Mon, May 16, 2011 : 10:05 p.m.
Street crack dealers are entrepreneurs, I guess they are jailed because of their tax issues? I know, I know, rules are for other people.
Roadman
Mon, May 16, 2011 : 9:34 p.m.
Agreed. The Washtenaw County Circuit Court gives probation in negligent homicide cases. Get a little greasy and its off to the jail.
Cash
Mon, May 16, 2011 : 6:59 p.m.
Well one good thing....Tom writes about a NEW subject!! Well one bad thing.....this is going to cost taxpayers even more money. Jails/prisons eating our tax dollars up and accomplishing nothing.
Cash
Tue, May 17, 2011 : 11:12 a.m.
No, I'm a realist. We can't afford this kind of "Do you know who I am?" strongarm govt employee action. As the conservative Nolan Findlay said...We need to know the difference between people we are MAD at and people we are AFRAID of....prison/jail is for people we are afraid of.
Roadman
Mon, May 16, 2011 : 9:32 p.m.
Sounds like you may be a fan of the Hon. Melinda Morris.
Mr. Tibbs
Mon, May 16, 2011 : 6:45 p.m.
this is something I have been saying for alot of years. if the right people aint makin' the right money, ecological or pharmaceutical, whatever. you aint getting it. this is just the tip of the ice berg, a man in another state was arrested for tax evasion because he did the same thing on his own farm. he was pulled over on a public street. running his vehicles on fuel he didn't pay road use taxes on.... economy or ecology.....which is it government? I guess the wait is over. we have indeed become the soviet union. we have people in the cystic fibrosis research foundation taking our money for years, and when a 16 year old kid solves the problem of treatment, and presents it to the world, AFTER Phd's. and others told him not to? We have one guy trying to make a difference, just like henry ford did....yeah, it was in the back of his garage too! and now we have a man who probably aint paying the big oil people their "fair" share he gets shut down. Just like "they" did to Tucker! the new moonshine....energy darn ole revenooers! how many of you know that when the diesel engine was invented, it was meant to run on peanut oil? Why are the powers that be using anything else but? it isn't like the germans hadn't already figured out what would work and what wouldn't. also that bio-diesel as we are given "it" gums up an engine something awful? AND it runs worse for it. ever burn a frying pan with corn oil in it? That is exactly what it is doing in your engine. no matter how much you refine it, AND some more indsutry fact, that if you are using less than B20 I think it is you gain nothing. except a huge repair bill for gummed up injectors, and stuck rings allowing for oil blow by, and even more polution! let the little guys go. they, like the 16 year old kid maybe onto something. oh but heaven forbid they should come up with a cure for whatever it is big money is collecting bigger money to do research on.....
Mush
Tue, May 17, 2011 : 4:18 p.m.
Satire? Nah! His "facts" came from a chain e-mail.
Robert Granville
Mon, May 16, 2011 : 10:41 p.m.
This is satire right?
Robert Granville
Mon, May 16, 2011 : 6:33 p.m.
I wish they would fine him instead of jailing him. Fines bring in revenue, jails spend it.
Cash
Mon, May 16, 2011 : 6:57 p.m.
Exactly right.
InsideTheHall
Mon, May 16, 2011 : 5:11 p.m.
Did the neighbors complain? Not that I'm aware of. Sounds like a bunch of local bureaucrats making the public sector wage ginning up a little bank from a small businessman. WHO IS JOHN GALT?
Mike
Tue, May 17, 2011 : 12:23 p.m.
Please protect us from ourselves! Thank goodness we have governement there to save us. I sleep much better at night knowing there are at least a hundred rules protecting me and my family from things I didn't even know I was being protected from.
Enso
Tue, May 17, 2011 : 2:07 a.m.
This is the same type of mentality that, if this place caught fire and destroyed some homes, maybe killed some people, would argue something like "see, the government doesn't do its job when our taxes... blah blah blah..." You can't lose with these righty ideologues... they make it too easy.
dading dont delete me bro
Mon, May 16, 2011 : 8:14 p.m.
there aren't many neighbors out in that neighborhood. semi-industrial actually, but there are a couple houses
Enso
Mon, May 16, 2011 : 7:21 p.m.
John Galt is a fictitious character in an incredibly dry, not very well written, boring fantasy novel.
Ignatz
Mon, May 16, 2011 : 6:04 p.m.
We elect and/or pay these local bureaucrats to ensure that our communities are safe and all moneys due our communities are collected. It's tough enough running these places with reduced revenue.
lumberg48108
Mon, May 16, 2011 : 5:04 p.m.
Sometimes government gets in the way of small business and sometimes, people are just flakes and bring down neighborhoods and govt acts properly which is it in this case? :-)
EyeHeartA2
Mon, May 16, 2011 : 4:59 p.m.
Maybe the city of Ypsi should take note of how the township of Ypsi works the next time the have a discussion with Mr. Beal.
Bogie
Mon, May 16, 2011 : 4:51 p.m.
If I was guessing, he was probably converting that grease into bio diesel. Of course, the state of Michigan wants a person to obtain an alternative fuel processing license. After that, keep records of how much fuel you produce, and the state will gladly charge you a tax. Sad. I'm all for removing blight (and there seems to be a considerable amount, that is not removed), but I think the thought of tax revenues being lost, was too much for township officials to handle. Again, sad.
johnnya2
Mon, May 16, 2011 : 9 p.m.
1. So this guy should be above paying taxes? His trucks surely use PUBLIC roads. 2. Licensing is to protect the public for yahoos who think they know what they are doing and sell something that could destroy your car 3. This also stops those who obtain restaurant grease ILLEGALLY. You know the guys who think they can take it from behind the place. It is illegal to take other peoples property. This guy was given NUMEROUS chances to comply. I hope his ghetto business is shut down and a legitimate business takes its place,
treetowncartel
Mon, May 16, 2011 : 4:37 p.m.
One man's trash is another man's treasure!
sailor67
Mon, May 16, 2011 : 4:14 p.m.
OK, apparently printing the truth about his guy violates <a href="http://www.AnnArbor.com">www.AnnArbor.com</a>'s conversaton guidelines. As an alternative, why don't you do your homework and examine the property file for 3133 East Michigan Ave in Ypsilanti Township?
1bigbud
Mon, May 16, 2011 : 4:10 p.m.
I guess this is a good thing-- (not sure ) But with 14 killers on the loose (in Ypsi) !5 rapest around town (in Ypsi ) 300 drunks on the road killing others day after day (just in Ypsi) Ya lock up a guy for code problems Do you think we have a problem Ypsi I DO Just easy prey - No work involved - Looks good for who ever is in charge-Good news print Keep up the Good ? Work Ypsi (lol)
Rod Johnson
Tue, May 17, 2011 : 12:41 a.m.
Yeah, because until all the rapists, killers and drunk drivers in town are caught and punished, no other laws should be enforced. No wait, that would be dumb.
montyman
Mon, May 16, 2011 : 9:10 p.m.
Those are some alarming figures you are stating. Please give us the source of your information. Or (as I assume) you just made them up?
Huron74
Mon, May 16, 2011 : 6:31 p.m.
What the basis for these assertions?
dading dont delete me bro
Mon, May 16, 2011 : 4:03 p.m.
let it be know that ypsi township does not take this stuff lightly...
Mick52
Mon, May 16, 2011 : 3:39 p.m.
Don't know about this man, but for info, we have a friend who lives down south who collects restaurant grease and with some process converts it to a fuel that can run a vehicle.
Ellen
Mon, May 16, 2011 : 3:52 p.m.
it's true. I don't know anything about the process, but have been told that the engine needs to be diesel in order for this to work.