Waste cleared from ex-mayoral candidate’s yard after neighbor complaints, court order

Two months after an Environmental Court judge ruled former mayoral candidate Winfred Shipman had run afoul of the solid waste ordinance, a contractor hired by the Consolidated Government entered his Abbey Drive property to clean out filled vehicles and other items in the yard.

The waste was the source of a neighborhood debate in the Brittany II neighborhood off Billings Road where neighbors said his front yard with standing water was a breeding ground for mosquitoes and rats were living in some of his 11 vehicles. A contractor entered the property at 6324 Abbey Drive on Dec. 20 to remove household items and other waste before work was confirmed by Special Enforcement on Dec. 28.

John Hudgison, director of Building Inspections and Code Enforcement, said there are still some complaints from neighbors but no current violations.

“We are still getting complaints from the neighbors because there are still shirts and things at the front door however they have not degraded to the point of being solid waste,” Hudgison said . “Some of the vehicles have been removed by the owner and the remaining ones were cleaned out by our vendor.”

Environmental Court Judge Mike Joyner approved the order after an Oct. 17 hearing in which neighbors said very little had been done to clean up the property since Oct. 3.

Shipman, who placed last in a six-candidate field in the Columbus mayoral race on May 22, said the fight is not over with his neighbors. “They are out of their minds, first of all,” he said.

He said the contractor took 35 flowers, claiming they were impeding the right of way. They also took three bird baths and a small child’s car parked in the yard.

“It didn’t cause no rodents or nothing,” Shipman said. “It was a toy vehicle.”

Neighbors had been concerned about a white Toyota pickup stuffed with all types of household items, including an old campaign yard sign, but the truck wasn’t on the property when the contractor arrived. Some feared it may have harbored rats.

“I put it on my other property in Harris County,” he said. “They couldn’t touch that.”

Shipman said he lost one vehicle to a fire but he still has 10 remaining.

He claims the judge sent people on his property but his neighbor’s yard is worse than his property. “Why are they on my property,” he asked.

The cost of the cleanup wasn’t available. A lien will be filed on his property if Shipman doesn’t repay the city.

If you have seen something that needs attention, give me a call at 706-571-8576.

This story was originally published January 21, 2019 at 4:11 PM.