The property located in the 300 block of East Prospect Street has been the subject of a property nuisance lawsuit. In July, a judge issued a court order giving the City of Kewanee the right to correct the ordinance violations. [Photo by Susan DeVilder]

A property owner, whose property has been at the center of a months-long property nuisance case, said he intends to clear away items from his property over the next few days. His hope is to have his sale items removed before city workers arrive to haul it to the dump.

Scott Peed was sent a nuisance violation notice for his property, located in the 300 block of East Prospect Street, in February of this year. The oridance violation, according to Keith Edwards, director of community development with the City of Kewanee, was noted by the city worker during a proactive stop, and a letter was sent notifying Peed that items collected on and around his property violated the city nuisance code.

After Peed didn’t comply with a second, more sternly-worded notice, Edwards said the matter was turned over to the city attorney and the case has been before the city municipal court. Court actions are the last resort, Edwards said, and ones the city tries to avoid.

“We try to work with people,” he said. “If we don’t get a response, we send them a second notice to try to get people to comply before the City has to take court action.”

In July, a judge issued an order that would allow the City to correct the violations, but the City still needed to wait an additional 30 days for an appeal period. That appeal period expired on July 16, Edwards said.

Edwards said he understands that residents may get frustrated and impatient when city nuisance violations aren’t corrected immediately, but said there are steps that need to be taken before the City can come in and remove residents’ property.

“We have to follow the law and follow the process,” he said.

Edwards is currently trying to coordinate with the Public Works schedule. Workers from that department will assist in the property clean up. The goal is to schedule the task for the end of the week or early next week.

On Monday, Peed and his mother were at work trying to store what items they could in Peed’s basement and remove the other items from his front yard. Since the start of the yard sale season, Peed has held multiple yard sales in his front yard and the sales have drawn some complaints from neighbors, according to Edwards.

The City of Kewanee recently passed an ordinance limiting the number of yard sales Kewanee residents are allowed to have to just three or four a year. The duration of each sale is limited to just three days. But Peed’s case wasn’t the focus behind the new ordinance, according to City Manager Gary Bradley.

“This issue has been discussed by the City Council for many years,” dating back to 2016 or 2017, Bradley said.

As of Sunday, Peed had wrapped up his second yard sale since the new ordinance was passed. Because of the ordinance, Peed said it will be difficult for people like him who rely on yard sales to supplement their income. Peed said he hoped to remove most of the sale items on his front lawn by the end of the day.