County attorney urges abatement of Holland nuisance property

A property on the east edge of Holland has been causing headaches for Grundy County officials for years—morphing into little more than a glorified junkyard—and county attorney Erika Allen and Zoning Administrator/Sanitarian Carie Sager recommended abating the nuisance if the owner does not address the issues in the near future.
           
“I’ve been dealing with this property almost as long as I’ve been with Grundy County, and I’m ready for it to be done,” Sager said during Monday morning’s board of supervisors meeting. “It’s horrible.”
           
James Harberts, who now resides outside of Buckingham in rural Tama County, purchased the property in 2013 with hopes of building a duplex there, but when that plan fell through (and the house burnt down), items like racecars, lawnmowers, pallets, scrap metal and an RV—allegedly all belonging to Charles Davis of Holland—began accumulating in the backyard.
           
In April, the county issued Harberts a civil citation for maintaining an illegal junk or salvage yard, and he failed to appear in court to contest the charges on June 5, resulting in a $750 fine. As of Monday morning, he had not paid it.
 
Read the full story in this week's Grundy Register, or subscribe by calling (319) 824-6958 or clicking here.