(LAGRANGE) – The LaGrange County Commission is moving ahead with fining a property owner.

By a vote of 2-1, LaGrange Commissioners agreed to impose over $4,000 in fines against Gene Neely for the junk that has accumulated at 3445 South County Road 1145 East in Elmira. This is an issue the County Commission has been dealing with for over four years.

Commissioner Terry Miller motioned to impose the fines against Neely, but it died for lack of a second. Commission President Larry Miller then made a motion to keep the matter open for another six months and review it then. That motion also died for lack of a second.

Martin explains why he thinks a fine should be imposed. ...... {LISTEN}.

After some more discussion, Martin made a motion to fine Neely and also keep the matter open for another six months, which passed.

LaGrange County Nuisance Officers say they have visited the property over 50 times in the last several years and while clean up attempts were made, more junk was later brought in. County Commissioners have imposed fines and then frozen them to give Neely chance to clean the property.

The LaGrange County Planning and Zoning Department is working on a zoning violation case against Neely.