Junky yards in Lehi still facing lien

LEHI — Mayor Howard Johnson won't be canceling a $16,000 city lien on property owned by John "Dick" Clover after neighboring residents complained at Tuesday's City Council meeting.

Johnson proposed canceling the lien, and a reluctant council went along with the idea. The lien was placed on property at 270 S. 300 West to recover the cost of a 2002 city-ordered cleanup. Clover also owns property at 351 W. 100 South.

Several neighbors presented a petition with more than 100 names opposing the action and presented photos of current trash problems on the sites.

"I didn't realize it would stir up such a storm," Johnson said, noting he will leave the lien in place. "From this point on, any help given will be done privately. (Consider) the issue, citywide, closed."

Councilman Johnny Barnes said the council approved the proposal as a good faith effort to show support to the mayor. After seeing photos documenting the items on the two properties, Barnes said the city should not forgive the lien but look at cleaning both of Clover's properties instead. Barnes suggested the council discuss the matter further at the next meeting on Sept. 26 at City Hall.

Having the city clean the properties would likely increase the amount of the existing lien.

"I find it hard to believe the local government can't do anything about (the problem)," said Barnes, admitting he has little tolerance for unkempt property. "We have too good of a community to let that happen."

Clover said he has been told he has until May to pay off the lien or the county will sell his property. But he believes the lien is not justified.

Clover, a 78-year-old veteran whose primary residence is an assisted living facility (neighbors say he occasionally stays overnight in the houses on the two properties when he brings new items to the sites), says city codes in 1959 — as he recalls them — dealt with the presentation of private property on a "drive-by basis."

"If you drive by or walk by in a car, if you can't see something in a house or behind a house, then it's none of (your) business," Clover said in an interview with the Deseret Morning News.

Current city codes are much more specific, however, and deal with all areas of private property. City code limits the number of unusable cars on private property to two. Neighbors next to Clover's property on 100 South said they have counted up to seven nonfunctional cars on the property.