Bradford County code enforcement reported that a Hampton-area property owner under investigation for violations erected a chain across the entrance of his property, preventing officers from accessing the area.
According to records, on Nov. 7, 2022, a code enforcement officer found a recreational vehicle on the County Road 221 property owned by Robert Smith being used as a residence with no water, sewer, or power connected to the RV.
“In addition, inoperable vehicles were being stored on the property as well as an accumulation of discarded materials,” the county said. “These inoperable/unregistered vehicles have been stored on this property in excess of three years.”
During a June 2023 compliance hearing, Officer Glen Ward Jr. testified he had inspected the property and spoken with the respondent no less than six times since 2020 about the violations.
Smith was given 30 days to “convert” the RV into a mobile home, providing utilities to the structure and removing the vehicles and other materials from his yard.
In July, Ward reported that a chain had been erected across the property’s entrance, preventing him from entering. However, he could see that some of the vehicles had been removed, but not all. He added that the RV was still not in compliance with county codes. The county began fining the property owner $100 a day.
The following month, Ward told a special magistrate that Smith had been hospitalized and requested the county stop the daily fines. He added that he would try to help the property owner come into compliance.
After failing to hear from Smith during two successive hearings, the county imposed a $250-a-day fine for 30 days beginning on Oct. 10. It said it would increase the fine to $250 a day on Nov. 14 if the property had not been brought into compliance.
