MAHANOY CITY - The issues about property and code violations were raised again by the public during last week's meeting of Mahanoy City Borough Council, including a complaint about grilling on a roof.
Resident Ruth Ann Maziekas addressed her comments to borough Code Enforcement Officer William Killian III about neighbors behind her East Mahanoy Street home who recently threw three bags of garbage into their yard and have been a nuisance to Maziekas.
"This is the second year that I cannot sit on my deck," Maziekas said. "I keep my property clean and decent. You have these people barbecuing on the roof. There's cheese all over the roof."
"Cheese?" borough solicitor Michael A. O'Pake asked.
"Yes, cheese," Maziekas said. "I have the pictures right here."
"I did receive your complaint and called your house the same day," Killian said. "We are working on your complaint."
Killian asked Maziekas to provide him with any photos that are available of what is going on so he can move forward on the complaint.
Resident Charlene Brill lives in the area and confirmed Maziekas complaints.
"When they're building their little grill by the third floor, they're starting it with paper," Brill said. "By the time the end of the night comes, it's all in my yard. I couldn't tell you if it's balls of flames coming over into my yard. What happens if something catches on fire? It's hitting my property."
"Can you call the police station when they're burning it?" Councilman Scott Kline asked.
"I already did," Brill said. "What can I do?"
"What you should do is call the police, and they'll put you in the direction that you need to go," Councilwoman Patti Schnitzius said.
"The paper that is half-burnt I'm finding afterward," Brill said.
Police Chief John C. Kaczmarczyk said, "Call us when it's happening, and if you find that stuff in the yard, we'll have to show where it's coming from. They shouldn't be grilling on the roof, but there's no law about it."
Killian said fire Chief Randy Kalce should be involved in the issue.
"It may fall under the fire code," Kaczmarczyk said. "If you see smoke or flames on the roof, call the fire department right away."
Resident Larry Oatman, East South Street, brought a problem to the borough council, claiming that his neighbor has constructed a fence that encroaches on his property.
"I have proof of it with pictures. I went to lawyers who said I need to go to civil court to get this corrected," Oatman said. "Well, I found an ordinance in the common law that he can't do that, and he has to give me a three-day written notice if he wants to put something like that on my property. I have it surveyed, and I have pictures. So what I'm asking you to do is make him take that fence off my property."
O'Pake told Oatman that he couldn't give any advice without knowing more about the situation.
"First of all, I have no knowledge of anything you are talking about, so I can't tell council to do that now," O'Pake said. "I have to talk to Bill (Killian) about it and see if he's investigated it. And you're getting into property line disputes, so I'm not quite sure that we can do anything about this."
Oatman reiterated his evidence in photographs, a survey and what he found in a commonwealth code or ordinances, though he did not state the exact reference.
"I'm not trying to be rude, but I'm trying to get this corrected," Oatman said.
"I understand, but you have to understand that I can't render any advice. I need to look into it," O'Pake said.
Killian said, "I've been working with this for three weeks, if not longer, to try to lead him (Oatman) in the right direction. I do not have the authority to move the fence."
O'Pake asked Oatman for the information he had, including the commonwealth reference so he could investigate further.
"I'll look at the documents, sir," O'Pake said. "I can't do anything right now."