Volusia County man faces hefty fines for illegal junkyard

Officials said an illegal junkyard in a Volusia County neighborhood could cost the property owner more than $17,500 in fines.

Since March 4, 2010, Volusia County Code Enforcement said they fined Jerry Demaio $25 a day for "maintaining a junkyard where not permitted," county spokesman Dave Byron said in a statement to WFTV.

"You name it and it's probably in there," neighbor Dale Brooks said about the heap of junk along South Sparkman Avenue.

Demaio collected everything from a bathroom sink to plastic buckets.

He told WFTV he planned to fix most of the stuff and sell it, but he became disabled and was unable to keep up with the growing pile of random items.

Brooks said he is concerned the mess is causing a bigger problem in the neighborhood.

"Anything like that hurts the value of the homes around it," he said.

But, neighbor Michael Baker said he has no reservations about the junk.

"Honestly, it doesn't bother us," Baker said.

Byron said the property was first found in violation of county code in October 2009, but he said the fines did not begin to accumulate until more than four months later, and they will continue until the yard is cleaned.