Uncategorized

Homeowner fined $200k over his messy yard – then city showed up and hauled away ‘priceless’ items in ‘forced cleanup’

A FURIOUS homeowner was hit with more than $200,000 in fines – before the city showed up and took away “priceless” items.

Richard Gillich got into an argument with authorities more than a year ago when a cleanup crew hauled away 12 dumpsters and five dump trucks of debris from his property.

Authorities took 12 dumpsters of trash from a property in Danbury, ConnecticutCredit: Google Maps

The homeowner was fined more than $200kCredit: Getty

The veterinary chiropractor from Danbury, Connecticut, has since racked up $204k in court-ordered fines in the ongoing blight fight with the city, 20 miles northwest of Bridgeport.

Gillich was found to be in contempt of a 2017 court order for failing to comply and for nonpayment of outstanding fines in August this year, according to court documents.

That ruling authorized another city cleanup, provided city leaders gave Gillich 30 days’ notice to clean up his blighted property.

The ruling also gives the city authority to place a lien on the home, potentially foreclosing on it.

In 2023, Gillich told Hearst Connecticut Media in an interview that the cleanup was an invasion of his property.

He slammed the cleanup crews for throwing away his precious 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥hood belongings, including some rare Tonka trucks.

“I’m a grown man and I had to beg them not to throw away things that have had sentimental value to me for 60 years,” he said at the time.

But Shawn Stillman, coordinator of Danbury’s Unified Neighborhood Inspection Team (UNIT), which carried out the cleanup, accused Gillich of letting his property fall “by the wayside.”

Gillich was held for an hour during an October court proceeding, before agreeing to repayments of his enormous fines.

But under the agreed $100-a-month repayment scheme, it would take him 170 years to pay off the current fine.

Stillman said Gillich hadn’t mowed his grass and had left garbage and other materials littered across his property.

Gillich was ordered to maintain his property in the wake of 2023’s court order.

But Stillman said he had failed to honor that and repay the city, and so was found in contempt of a court order and brought back to court.

Now, a year on, Stillman said Gillich is “living in a world of his own in regards to local responsibility.

“And as a result, the property has fallen by the wayside,” he added. “It has not been maintained.”

Stillman said a second enforced UNIT cleanup as a short-term fix that would be a waste of city resources and wouldn’t “solve the long-term problem.”

Now the dispute over the property has reached as high as Danbury’s Mayor Roberto Alves.

He said his office is looking into strengthening local ordinances to address blight issues, which will then be introduced to the City Council for action.

The city is also exploring tougher legal solutions, such as foreclosing on liens.

“We are starting the preliminary conversations on how we can stiffen that up so we can make it easier to enforce, and not have anything take a generation-plus,” Mayor Alves told Danbury-based outlet The News-Times.

But even if the city does pursue a lien foreclose on Gillich’s home, Stillman said the purpose would be to obtain his compliance with repaying the owed fines.

“We’re just looking for and expecting compliance, and respect for the neighborhood and fellow neighbors,” Stillman said.

The U.S. Sun has approached Danbury authorities for comment.

Related Posts

Musk reveals eye-watering amount he is giving ‘𝑏𝑎𝑏𝑦 mama’ influencer Ashley St. Clair in trashy public spat

Elon Musk claims he has forked out at least $2.5 million in payments to Ashley St Clair but maintains he does not know if he is the father of…

‘Please stay away’ – LA Dodgers fans fear Kim Kardashian ‘curse’ after she shows off custom Shohei Ohtani jersey

LOS Angeles Dodgers fans called on Kim Kardashian to “stay away” after she shared a picture of a Shohei Ohtani jersey on social media. Kardashian, 44, was 𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧…

The First Black Pilot To Fly Solo Around The World Creates Aviation Training School

Captain Barrington Irving, renowned for his historic achievement as the first Black and youngest pilot to fly solo around the world, continues to inspire and pave the way…

Rory McIlroy closing in on Jordan Spieth’s earnings in three years after $340,000 payday

Rory McIlroy is leading the PGA Tour prize money list by a significant margin after an impressive start to 2025. The Northern Irish golf sensation pocketed another $337,843 for…

Rory McIlroy shows just how much winning green jacket means to him with private jet detour

Rory McIlroy has made yet another trip to Augusta, with the opening major championship of the season at the Masters now just one week away. McIlroy will be gunning to win…

After Alleged ‘Slave’ Treatment by Tiger Woods, Caddie Steve Williams Has Sudden Shift in Stance on Ex-Boss

82 PGA Tour victories gave Woods the title of the GOAT. And in his 13 out of 15 Major titles, a permanent fixture by his side was his…

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *