I've driven by that joint 100's of times since I was a little boy. This is all about the Benjamin's.

I think this is the play, property sits right across from Walmart. I don't know much about the case but it does feel like they think they can push them into closing or selling. Nice people, have bought a few parts from them over the years. I think her husband was killed in an accident there a few years ago.

by the looks of the sign that place has probably been there longer than the city ordinance has been in effect I'd be talkingto a lawyer. you cant just come in and tell someone to stop something they've been doing for decades because a Walmart gets built across the street isnt there some kinda grandfathered protection against that? if the neighbors don't like it they didn't have to move there.

Update.



CLANTON, AL (WBRC) - The community has organized a clean-up day to help a Clanton business. It will be December 15 at 9 a.m.

The clean-up day is to assist Odean Clecker, a 89-year-old woman whose business has created quite a clutter. The health department tells Mrs. Clecker the mess needs to be cleaned.

Clecker and her son, Randy, were put in jail for missing a deadline on de-cluttering their appliance shop. When this community found out about it, they were fired up.

Cleckler was let out of jail Wednesday morning because of health issues but was supposed to be sentenced to 30 days in jail.

“People have come and let me know how they feel. and that is worth a lot. It shows that we have been good to people," Cleckler said with tears in her eyes.

It is obvious that the Clecker family means a lot to the community. Clanton Mayor Billy Joe Driver says this situation has put him in a really tough position.

The mayor asked the judge to let Clecker out of jail because of the health issues, but her son Randy still has to serve a 30-day sentence.

The city says this has been a 3-year ordeal with the Clecklers.

The health department and the city have sent letters asking them to clean their property because it is a health hazard.

The state health department first reached out the local health department about this issue saying they had gotten complaints of a mosquito problem coming from the property.

Last time they were in court, the judge gave them 3 months to clean up.

“He had done absolutely nothing,” the mayor said.

Cleckler says her son has cleaned some of it up but it is hard to run a business with two people.

“But about the time that we started to do it two or three customers would come in. Have you got this have you got that? Well we had to stop and wait on them,” she said.

Cleckler says to do it quickly means taking all the appliances to the dump, but they sell part from them.

Thinking about her son being in jail during the Christmas season is tough, but she says she know one thing for sure.

“We are not going out of business. Not unless they flat demand it," she said.

“I can not defy the judge it is in their hands now,” the Mayor says.

What I don't get is all we here about is overcrowded jails and let some of the lesser offense people out but they're gonna lock up people cuz they won't clean up their property? Must have been a recent mass exodus of inmates to make room for the two. Ridiculous.

I can't go into detail, because I know the individuals on both sides of this situation.
Basically it boils down to this, you cannot keep on doing things, a certain way, simply because you've always done it that way.

place dont look that bad from the road ????

I would hope that they tried every other avenue they could before arresting Mawmaw, but when a judge issues an order with a timeline (a couple of times it sounds like), you had better not ignore it. I bet if they had made even minimal progress, he would have extended the time and worked with them. When I was doing part time Code Enforcement here, I was actually in the same situation with a crazy woman. I had to eventually sign a criminal complaint even though her elderly mother was the owner she was the resident and I wasn't going to sign a complaint on the old woman who didn't even live there. The woman was arrested and came before a judge and he gave her 90 days I think it was to clean it up. She wasn't making progress but her mother died soon after the court date and other family members cleaned it in order to sell the house.

Sometimes when enforcing laws, in particularly city codes, you have to act when neighbors complain about a legitimate code violation, even if you don't think it is the end of the world.

There are some real hoarders like on TV too and they are the toughest to deal with. On one hand, you are compassionate because they are mentally ill but on the other hand you feel for the neighbors too.

Years ago the "Code Enforcement" bunch of dumbasses here in Walton County Florida got them a fleet of blacked out SUV's with blue lights and all the crap that they could get on them. They had black outfits that would have rivaled the CIA. They would go around measuring businesses signs, their heights and every kind of nit-picking rule book compliance they could imagine. It was a joke.

Should be grandfathered.

And it seems so unnecessary --- and it seems the community and the property owners should have found
a way to have an esthetically acceptable fence to satisfy anybody else in the neighborhood.

I think the judge and the mayor should share a big, fat, chit sandwich.

I still say someone is pushing this issue because of $$$

good grief a mercy ...

Why not put some of these non-violent offenders that are in the jail over there to help them clean up

It's not like the city of Clanton or Chilton County hasn't made money off these folks through taxes over the 60 years they've been in business.

I agree with the theory but in practice then it becomes prisoners being used for individuals chore duty.
Yes, I realize it's an 89 year old lady but there are private clean up companies for private people to use.

Who cares if it's private. They're criminals, they have no rights anymore.

The United States Constitution would disagree with you.

I know but was being facetious. Plus we all know city, local and federal entities always do the right thing.

I would refuse to do it.

How many people can honestly say they would lose their livelihood because an old lady would not listen to numerous warnings from a judge? I'm willing to bet anything that the city and judge tried hard to work with them. If I'm going to blame anyone for Mawmaw sitting in the jail for a while it is her own son who ignored the judge.

Yup agreed, sorry Granny but my needs come first and shyt rolls down hill.
THEY were given due time to address the complaint, THEY chose to not correct the complaint. Now GRANNY suffers the consequences.
Pretty much falls into the play stupid games, win stupid prizes.