Doug Evans found in contempt of court, fined $1,000 per day

CINCINNATI — A Clermont County choose observed Evans Landscaping owner Doug Evans in contempt of court, and requested him to pay back $1,000 for every working day until eventually he shuts down illegal enterprises that are working on Mt. Carmel Street land that is zoned for open up place and agriculture.

The contempt get, signed by Common Pleas Judge Kevin Miles on Feb. 14, chastised Evans for disobeying his before preliminary injunction to shut unlawful tenant corporations these kinds of as landscaping organizations, that have been working inside structures constructed to glimpse like purple barns.

Since common civil penalties would not be sufficient to “coerce” Evans to comply, Miles wrote that he would wonderful him $1,000 per working day for each individual working day the violations persist.

The Union Township land is zoned as estate residential — which normally is a large large amount with a greater dwelling, extensive driveway and potentially a little building like a pool house, mentioned land use legal professional Sean Suder, who has no ties to this case, in an earlier job interview with WCPO.

“It’s illegal and unpermitted … they’re not even intended to have those people buildings on the parcel,” reported Jason Gordon, who is suing Evans and his keeping organization, Mt. Carmel Farms LLC, which owns the 4370 Mt. Carmel Street house following to Gordon’s house.

Great deal Tan

When Gordon and his spouse, Nicole, created a log cabin in rural Union Township in 2005, they were being surrounded by woodlands and wildlife.

That modified when an elderly neighbor sold 11.7 acres of family farmland to Evans in 2012.

Gordon promises Evans stripped hundreds of trees to make an industrial park. Because then, he said more than 100 vehicles a working day, such as tractor trailers and dump vehicles, drove by his household, frequently at superior speeds, resulting in dust, sounds and destruction to his gravel easement.

“I just want my peace and peaceful back again,” Gordon explained.

He sued Evans in February 2020 in excess of the zoning dispute. As the scenario moves towards demo, the choose issued a preliminary injunction on Oct. 4 buying Evans to get rid of the illegal enterprises.

A week soon after the judge’s purchase, Union Township also took action. A zoning inspector despatched Evans a letter on Oct. 12 that his house was not in compliance.

Maddy Schmidt

“I identified a full of 11 detached accessory structures with 9 of these constructions currently being found in Union Township. There are no permits on file for any of all those structures … there are no approvals or authorization for any of these unpermitted/unlawful businesses, so they all ought to stop any/all actions and vacate the home,” wrote inspector Scott Burkey, who gave Evans until finally Oct. 27 to suitable violations or encounter additional legal action.

In reaction to concerns from WCPO, Union Township Administrator Susan Ayers wrote, “We have actively been doing work with Mr. Evans to take care of the township considerations. Though people matters are pending, I will not be able to provide additional comment.”

An lawyer and spokesperson for Evans did not return requests for remark.

Evans, 60, is a perfectly-recognized entrepreneur who built a landscaping empire from a substantial college job hauling mulch from a pickup truck. He now employs 250 at operations that selection from sand and gravel, gear rental, snow removal, soil and firewood, ready-mix concrete, tree companies and stone functions.

Whole lot Tan

He is also 1 of Newtown’s premier home owners, aspect proprietor of Ivy Hills Nation Club, and controls wide swaths of land underneath diverse keeping firms in Hamilton and Clermont counties, which includes parcels that adjoin Gordon’s land.

These zoning concerns are the hottest in a string of authorized troubles for Evans.

Evans was launched from prison final December immediately after serving 6 months for minority contracting fraud, adopted by a number of months of household arrest.

Past calendar year, Ohio Legal professional General Dave Yost declared a $550,000 settlement with Evans to clean up up illegal waste at three Evans Landscaping and gravel services in the vicinity of Newtown.

Significantly less than 3 months afterwards, overall health officials say he violated that courtroom get.

Hamilton County health and fitness officers sent a notice of violation to Evans on Dec. 16. additional than a thirty day period just after crews dug exam pits at his Broadwell Road facility in Anderson Township to ascertain the scope of the buried waste.

Ray Pfeffer

Afterward Evans removed and adequately disposed of the stockpiled construction and demolition debris, according to a statement from spokesman Nick Vehr who explained the corporation is, “working diligently to put into action the pursuits demanded beneath the consent purchase with Hamilton County Public Wellbeing and Ohio EPA.”

In the zoning dispute circumstance, the judge experienced requested Evans to eliminate tenant firms by Dec. 5.

When that did not take place, Gordon filed a motion for contempt a week later.

Miles held an evidentiary listening to on Jan. 25 and eventually sided with Gordon, granting his contempt motion.

“Following the court’s preliminary injunction, (Evans) finally ceased quite a few prohibited activities on the property. There is no extended an automotive mend business, steel fabricating enterprise, a concrete sawing enterprise, Throughout the world Graphics and Clothing, or A&A Safety operating,” Miles wrote. “However, Must Landscaping and American Landscaping nonetheless run … each organization has get the job done vans outdoors of their respective rented buildings. There is also evidence of Evans Landscaping vehicles that have remained.”

Maddy Schmidt

Miles wrote that operate trucks, excavators, snowplows, transport containers, salt storage and other miscellaneous goods are however on the land. Gordon testified that he continues to see a significant volume of visitors on the easement in front of his residence.

At the Jan. 25 listening to, the defense argued that these landscaping corporations may possibly be utilized for agriculture the moment spring comes, earning them lawful employs for the land.

“But the fact of the issue is that the defense did not existing any proof to exhibit that the landscaping firms are employing (Evans’) assets in an agricultural ability ideal now,” the judge wrote.

Defense attorneys also argued that Evans attempted to comply with the judge’s buy by shifting equipment that had been saved outdoors to the inside of structures. But the decide disagreed.

“Using the assets for organization storage, irrespective of whether its indoors or outside the house, contravenes the preliminary injunction,” Miles wrote. “Not only does storage violate the court’s specific order in opposition to storage corporations but possessing firms keep supplies on the property is not a permitted use underneath … the Union Township Zoning Resolution.”

The choose would like Evans to remove businesses that are not agricultural, clear away all storage units and transport container, and take out all function vehicles, excavators, snowplows, and salt storage.

Drone footage: Michael Benedic

He is also buying Evans to pay for Gordon’s lawful prices in the contempt action. He set an April 21 listening to to identify if Evans has purged his contempt.

In the meantime, Clermont County officers proceed to examine complaints at the Evans’ parcels close to Mt. Carmel Road for clearing a lot more than an acre of trees without the need of a allow and rerouting a stream.

“The constructing office is knowledgeable of and is in the procedure of investigating the extent and severity of various possible making code and drinking water management and sediment management violations. We are presently shifting ahead by means of the statutory and administrative enforcement course of action with hope and expectation that the opportunity violations will be remedied with no delay,” stated county spokesman Mike Boehmer.

Evans Contempt Get From Judge Miles by paula christian on Scribd