A Minnesota man who has received over two dozen police visits to his home since April 2020 says that he and his property are “not subjected to the city ordinances,” according to the Star Tribune.
Neighbors have made complaints about goats and dogs running free, a trash covered lawn, and multiple junk cars on the Elbow Lake property of Brian M. Nelson, according to the Star Tribune.
Nelson allegedly threatens complainants, one of whom believes a sign he erected saying “Do Not Cry Wolf Lady” was directed at her for complaining about the brush burnt on his property, according to the Star Tribune.
“We’re not trying to dictate how people run their lives. We’re not trying to make every residence in Elbow Lake look like a golf course. But we do expect people to have respect for their neighbors. And I think there’s been a lack of it in this case.”https://t.co/3Mok7pbfxk
— Bruce MacDonald (@rationaldoge) January 29, 2021
Multiple refusals from Nelson to comply with city ordinances forced local officials to attempt to seek an order authorizing them to clean up the property before being refused by a Grant County District Court judge, according to the Star Tribune.
Mayor Deb Hengel per the Star Tribune said that the city strives to “appropriately respond to the complaints from neighbors and community members, while following the timelines of the legal process and court proceedings.”
Grant County Sheriff Mark Haberer said that while he does not expect “to dictate how people run their lives” he believes that neighbors have not been respected, according to the Star Tribune.
Nelson was also arrested in October for his refusal to wear a mask and was charged with being in contempt of court, he also avoids wearing a mask in church, according to the Star Tribune.
One disgruntled neighbor per the Star Tribune questioned “the point of having city ordinances if they’re optional?” (RELATED: Denver Voters Pass Ordinance To Decriminalize Psilocybin Mushroom Possession)