Court penalty for ignoring clean-up orders

as posted on COGsite

Owners of a property in Southern River have been fined a total of $2,100 after ignoring warnings from the City to stop storing commercial equipment in their yard.

After receiving complaints from nearby residents, the City’s Planning Compliance Officer inspected the property and issued a warning to the owners to remove the items within 14 days.

A subsequent site inspection revealed that the owners had made no attempt to remove the equipment and the City then proceeded with legal action.

Neither property owner responded to the prosecution notices nor did they appear at Armadale Magistrates Court on 24 September 2008 and legal representation was not made on their behalf.

The matter proceeded and each property owner was found to be in breach of the City’s Town Planning Scheme No.6 and Planning and Development Act 2005 for storage of commercial equipment on a residential property.

Each owner was fined $500 and ordered to pay $550 in costs.

A second prosecution is underway for a continuing offence at the property and this will go before the Magistrate on Wednesday 15 October.

City of Gosnells Planning and Sustainability Director Len Kosova said people in residential areas had a right to expect certain standards of amenity in their neighbourhood.

“This case serves as a good reminder that inappropriate activities will not be tolerated,” Mr Kosova said.

as posted on COGsite