Senior irked by cleanup command - Jun. 03, 2010
Kathy Bockus/Courier
Anna Marie Mekking, 71, of St. Stephen, organizes some left over yard sale items for removal after being ordered by the town to clean up her property. The town says complaints from neighbours prompted the order.
BY KATHY BOCKUS
kathy@stcroixcourier.ca
ST. STEPHEN – Anna Marie Mekking is leaving town to go live with her daughter in Alberta. The move comes following the death in January of her longtime friend, Dolores Embury.
But Mekking won’t be taking many happy parting memories with her she says.
Mekking, 71, who lived on Parkwood Drive with Embury for 12 years, is upset that she’s been asked by the town’s bylaw officer to clean up her property.
Bylaw officer Mark Fleming said he couldn’t comment on individual cases, but confirmed “the mess has been there for weeks” at Mekking’s house.
“We act on complaints from neighbours.
I don’t just go and pick out a house,” explained Fleming. He said under the town’s dangerous and unsightly premises act, homeowners can be fined $240.
Mekking’s overgrown front lawn is pockmarked by mounds of household items covered by blue tarpaulins —leftovers from unsuccessful yard sales.
“The stuff has been outside a while.
It doesn’t look good. I know that,” said Mekking as she waited for the arrival of members of the St. Croix Vocational Centre who had promised to come and take some of the items.
She claims Fleming has threatened her with a $240 ticket if she doesn’t clean up her property by this week.
Mekking, who has no family in the area, says she can’t clean up the grounds around her home, citing health problems and the fact she had help moving the items onto her lawn.
Since Fleming’s visit, Mekking said she’s been “totally on edge.”
“People should realize the situation I’m in,” she stated, explaining the bank is foreclosing on the home she shared with the woman who was just like a sister to her and she’s still coping with her grief over Embury’s death.
“If it bothers the town so much, why don’t they help me?”
Mayor Jed Purcell said he has spoken to Fleming and they’ve agreed Mekking will not receive a ticket.
“If she’s leaving in two weeks time I’ll see that she doesn’t get a ticket.
The mortgage holder will have to look after what she leaves,” said Purcell.
Fleming said the town is making an effort to clean up all the properties within its boundaries and 99 per cent of the people contacted have been cooperative.
“There are things we have to do,” said Fleming. “The town tries to be assertive, but at same time cooperative.
We’re very compromising and most people clean up their properties during a given time period.”
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