Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
With an assist from the mayor and a city councilman, a summer-long investigation into four alleged junk vehicles in Garfield came to a conclusion last week.
In early June, Palouse police officer Joe Merry started investigating a complaint about four vehicles at 604 West Spokane Street at the Garfield trailer park. A series of notices and deadlines followed, leading to a public hearing at the Garfield city council meeting Sept. 19.
Officer Merry presented to the council a rundown of events leading to that night.
On July 22, he identified defects in four vehicles owned by Greg Tuck. Merry advised Tuck what needed to be done to get them into compliance, or else he faced a $250 fine per vehicle and towing charges.
Garfield’s city ordinance classifies a vehicle as junk if it meets three of five criteria: the model is three years or older, extensively damaged, apparently inoperable, has fair value equal to its scrap value, and/or lacks license plates or insurance.
Merry on Aug. 9 determined the vehicles in question were still not in compliance and served Tuck with a notice, including an itemized list of lawful repairs.
“From that, I’m happy to say we’ve satisfied three of the four vehicle requirements,” Merry reported to the council.
Two vehicles were moved from the property. and one, a 1999 Buick LeSabre, was brought into compliance when Tuck replaced the starter and got the car insured.
A fourth vehicle, a 1967 Ford Camper Special pickup remained in the junk vehicle classification.
Merry reported it was inoperable with a faulty transmission, no reverse and no ignition switch. It also lacked insurance.
Merry went on to say that Tuck had a chance to have the pickup towed away when his grandmother, Lula Richards, arranged for a tow truck to arrive one day in August. Tuck told the man to leave.
“He’s had ample opportunity to take care of the problem,” Merry said.
Finally, last Wednesday night, the officer gave his recommendation to the council.
“No. 1, it is a junk vehicle, No. 2, Greg Tuck is a no-show tonight. My recommendation is to issue a ticket for $250 if it is not removed by 6 p.m. tomorrow night.”
Lula Richards and Emily Torrey sat in the audience on behalf of Tuck.
“We had to get the Buick fixed before we could get to the other one,” Richards explained.
“Multiple vehicles accumulated on that property and we had to do something,” said Merry.
“Everybody loves to keep their junk in their yard until Joe shows up,” said Mayor Jarrod Pfaff.
Richards asked the council to allow one more week.
“By the time Greg pays rent and electricity, he has maybe 50 bucks to his name,” said Torrey.
The property’s owner is Carol Lawson. Her son Bill, who manages the trailer park, sat two rows back in the audience at the council meeting.
“I could deal with that if it’s moved in a week,” he said. “It’s hard for me, I’m willing to give anybody a chance if they do what they say they will do.”
Officer Merry then reiterated that the ’67 Ford meets three of four of the five criteria to be a junk vehicle.
“We need to end this and take care of the matter,” said Councilman Mark Young. Then he made a motion to take Merry’s recommendation -- by 6 p.m. the next day, if the vehicle had not been removed, a ticket would be issued and the vehicle towed.
The motion passed.
Councilman Larry Hunt turned and asked Richards where they would take the camper if they could get it moved.
Richards mentioned locations in Malden or Oakesdale.
“I will meet you at the trailer at 5 p.m. tomorrow. I can take it as far as Oakesdale,” Hunt said, mentioning a flatbed he has with a winch on it.
“Can you tell me the price?” asked Richards.
“Free,” said Hunt.
The next evening, just before five, Hunt rolled up in a gray Dodge one-ton with a long flatbed behind.
Soon after, Mayor Pfaff arrived and the two joined Bill Lawson to jack the camper part off of the pickup. The engine wouldn’t turn over, so they pushed and pulled the truck down an alley and onto Hunt’s flatbed.
Hunt secured chains to hold it in place while Richards thanked the three men.
The ’67 pickup was hauled to a residence in Oakesdale, where Richards indicated it would be for a week or so, before being taken to Malden.
Malden has a similar junk vehicle ordinance. but different enforcement.
“I think (the policy) is called ‘Avert Your Eyes’,” said Malden Mayor Ted Maxwell. “In Malden there are probably more junk cars than there are people.”
Officer Merry told the Gazette that there are five other junk vehicle investigations underway in Garfield.
He said that most of the time the property owners that he contacts are cooperative.
“It’s a real soft approach we take to get the end result,” Merry said. “But some folks are not willing to move on that.”
Garth Meyer is a former Whitman County Gazette reporter.
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