Canton tells garage to comply

BY ERIC HRIN

CANTON - A garage business on Springbrook Drive in Canton that the borough said is in violation of two borough ordinances has until Monday to come into compliance with borough regulations.

In a Sept. 21 letter to the business, Ruby's Rides Garage, the borough police department wrote that the appearance of the business and the work being performed there was brought up by council at its September meeting as "a code enforcement concern."

"It has been determined by Canton Borough that you are in violation of Canton Borough Ordinance No. 521, which calls for the orderly care and appearance of Borough properties, as well as Canton Borough Ordinance No. 314, which is the Borough Zoning Ordinance," the letter read.

Late last month, the borough gave the business until Monday, Nov. 9, to remedy the issues that council was concerned about. They included removing junk cars and parts, as well as trailers on the property where parts were stored, and to stop the "stripping" of vehicles, Canton Police Doug Seeley said.

"They're working on coming into compliance," he said Thursday.

An attorney for the business said the owners plan to comply.

"Ruby's Rides intends to be in full compliance with all rules and regulations," Christopher R. Lantz, of Cox, Stokes, and Lantz of Wellsboro, said in a formal statement Thursday. "The owners are making every effort to satisfy Canton Borough as it relates to this matter."

James and Jen Unangst, the owners, attended the last borough council meeting to talk to council about the matter.

On Thursday, Jen Unangst commented that "we just want to be a friend to the community," and referred further questions to her attorney.

Jen Unangst confirmed that the four trailers on the property have been taken out, and some of the cars and parts were cleaned up.

Council was concerned about the operation resembling a "junk yard."

"During numerous conversations with James Unangst, he has acknowledged to Chief Seeley that work being done at Ruby's Rides Garage includes the stripping of parts from junk vehicles," the borough's letter read. "Mr. Unangst stated that the remainder of the junk vehicle is hauled to a location where it is processed as a junk vehicle. This constitutes work that is indicative of a junk yard. Please note that a junk yard is not a permitted use in the Commercial Business District. If this work continues, you will be issued a 'cease and desist' order."

The letter continues: "Mr. Unangst also indicated to Chief Seeley that the parts that are stripped from vehicles are either used in repairing vehicles at the garage or are sold on eBay. Again, selling parts (is) not work typically performed by a garage, but more so by a junk yard."

The letter notes that James Unangst also stated that he has to buy a certain amount of vehicles from an auction weekly, and that he doesn't know until they are purchased whether they are usable cars for his car dealership or junk vehicles that he will then strip parts from.

At the last council meeting, the Unangsts' former attorney, Tom Walrath, talked to council.

"I think Ruby's Rides does an important service to the community in providing cheap cars at a time when cheap cars are hard to come by. It is local." At the time, he said 200 cars had been sold this year.

Walrath said the operation was not a junkyard.

Regarding the borough's claim that the business was "stripping" vehicles, he asked council, "Are you saying that they can't reap a profit from purchasing a vehicle and taking some parts off and then selling those parts..."

"To me, you're running a junkyard," Doug Seeley told him.

Walrath also told council that, on average, vehicles are kept on the lot less than a month.

"It might seem like they're storing a lot of vehicles there, but, as I indicated, there's a large flow to the whole thing," he said. "There's a lot of vehicles that just aren't there for a long time period."

Resident J. Scott May spoke on the matter, saying, "even in junkyards, you see cars are lined up neat and orderly and in line ..."

"The overall appearance of the place makes a big difference. If you got a forklift, move them in side by side so they look neat and orderly. Just keep the place looking good and I think you won't get quite as many issues from residents around here."

Walrath said they want to be in compliance with the ordinances.

"We're wanting to do whatever is asked of us in order to get to that."

Eric Hrin can be reached at (570) 297-5251; e-mail: reviewtroy@thedailyreview.com.

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