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Authorities remove 35 tons of trash from Seminole County man's yard

SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. — Seminole County officials spent most of Thursday removing more than 30 tons of trash from the yard of Seminole County's so-called "junk man."

Alan Davis has spent nearly a decade battling with Seminole County Code Enforcement over his junk-strewn lawn.

The Seminole County man, known for a statue of a buttocks in his front yard, went to prison over code enforcement violations in the past and has racked up fines totaling $1.9 million, but he still had not cleaned up the property, so the county stepped in.


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Davis called the Channel 9's newsroom Thursday morning, saying Seminole County was stealing his things. Davis' wife, Aileen Davis, spoke with reporter Tim Barber about the county's actions.

"I was in bed sleeping. I heard all this commotion. I came out here. I mean, this is unbelievable," Aileen Davis said. "I think these people have no clue."

The county said crews hauled away two trucks with more than 60,000 pounds of trash. Deputies said the couple's junk is illegal, but Aileen Davis said removing their things violates the Constitution.

She said they received a notice from the Sheriff's Office 15 days ago stating that the junk in their front yard was a violation of Florida's litter laws and must be cleaned up.

After the Davises failed to comply, the county moved in.

"I don't care. It's my property. If my neighbors don't like it, like the real estate (expletive) down the street, she doesn't like it, she can come buy it," Aileen Davis said.

"What do you think should happen to all these people on your property?" Barber asked.

"These people are pawns of the county. They are just doing what they have been asked to do. The Sheriff's Office, on the other hand, all need to go to jail," Aileen Davis said.

A few months ago, a special magistrate declared the property a safety issue.

"We wanted to give plenty of opportunity to make at least some progress towards his property," said Heather Smith of the Seminole County Sheriff's Office. "Unfortunately, we did not see any progress and we had to take action. This is well within our authority. In fact, it’s our duty and obligation to take care of this."

Deputies said they documented the cleanup so they can forward a case to the State Attorney's Office.

If Alan Davis is arrested, it would be the second time since 2004.

The county towed two cars and found a third under the brush as they continued their cleanup efforts.

Aileen Davis said they are going to keep fighting.

Neighbors told Channel 9 they're thrilled the junk is gone, but they worry the mess could come back.

Previous stories:

Seminole County's 'junk man' says he's suing county over code enforcement fines

Seminole County cracks down on 'Junk Man' once again