Sumpter Twp. citizens complaint about field of flood-damaged cars

By Rosemary K. Otzman
Independent Editor
Former Deputy Supervisor Craig Moody, who was fired by Sumpter Township Supervisor Johnny Vawters in May of 2013 and no longer lives in the township, got up to speak at the open-floor comments part of the regular board meeting on Sept. 23.
“I’ve got a problem with Willis Road,” Moody began, asking if the State called and asked the township to store the flood-damaged cars.
He referred to the cars parked in a field across Willis Road from the Holiday West mobile home park. At the Sept. 9 board meeting the cars were discussed and it was explained they were put there by Insurance Auto Auction, located on Rawsonville Road, who was handling a huge influx of cars that were damaged in the August floods in Detroit.
An insurance agent told the Independent the state requires cars that have had been in water up to a certain height must be totaled. The cars in the field, many brand-new cars, are waiting for insurance agents to assess their status and total the vehicles, which then can get salvage titles and be sold at auction.
Acting Supervisor John Morgan told Moody that the Auto Auction management came out to the township hall and talked to Clerk Clarence Hoffman and Morgan got called into the office, as well.
Morgan said he wanted to use the Sumpter fairgrounds for temporary storage of the cars coming from Detroit, but they told him that a car show was coming up at the fairgrounds and the property wasn’t available.
“Next we knew, cars were being brought into the place on Willis Road,” Morgan said.
“Why wasn’t the ordinance officer sent?” Moody asked and Trustee Bill Hamm said the ordinance officer did go over.
Morgan said another citizen had asked for a “cease and desist” order, but, “We didn’t know if he did anything wrong.”
Moody said citizens have to go through the planning commission with a site plan to do such projects.
Morgan said the State called the flood an “Act of God” and a local business which is part of the tax base needed help.
“I had to put an elderly gentleman in jail over the weekend because he turned his property into a junk yard,” Moody said, referring to his time as deputy supervisor.
He said they will be lucky if the cars are gone in six months and “mud is coming next month.” He said there are ruts in the roads.
“Who gave them the OK?” Moody asked, questioning if any board members did. Morgan said he didn’t and Clerk Clarence Hoffman said he didn’t.
Trustee Peggy Morgan said she didn’t know about it until Marty Kalasz bought it up at the last meeting. She said it is being looked at as an emergency and, “It’s their emergency, not our emergency.”
Moody stopped his questioning of board members and went on.
“There’s one owner of this property and he’s getting paid rent,” Moody continued. “The last time he was here he wanted a flea market and the township wanted him to pave 30 acres.
“I like Roy. He can make as much money as he wants,” Moody said, referring to Roy Acho. “Nobody from Sumpter is employed by the auction.”
[That is an incorrect statement.] Moody continued, saying the township engineer and planners should have been consulted. He said while that is industrial property, it was not zoned for a junk yard.
“We have the same concerns for the township that you do,” Acting Supervisor Morgan said to Moody.
“I always thought so,” Moody replied.
“We do the best we can to make the right decisions…” Morgan said, adding, “You have exceeded your three minutes. You create scenarios that haven’t happened yet.”
“They have the cars there,” Moody continued. “When auto auction came here originally they promised the cars would be drained and not leak on the ground. Walk through there and see what’s there.”
Morgan said those cars at the spot on Willis Road are flood-damaged, not damaged in accidents, and they are less likely to have leakage.
“I tried to help the businesses when I was here,” Moody said.
“We are waiting for a phone call back from Auto Auction,” said Deputy Treasurer Karen Armatis.
“We should have stopped them,” Moody said.
“Marty said it started a week before he came to the meeting [on Sept. 9],” Trustee Peggy Morgan said.
Moody said the township could have called a special planning commission meeting.
“We’re breaking our backs for him,” Moody said. “We stopped Keystone from doing a parking lot.” He said Keystone came in and followed the township rules and, “Now they have a nice parking lot.”
“You’ll never get them out in three months,” Moody said, and then sat down.
Sharon Pokerwinski said her husband saw a Corvette among the cars on Willis Road and was interested, so she contacted the Auto Auction. She said they told her that the paperwork takes a long time and it could be three to four months before any go to auction.
“That’s into the winter,” she said.
“I do believe they’re honest businessmen,” Morgan said, adding if they do environmental damage they will have to restore the land.
Pokerwinski said another man who has property where the cars are saw they were putting cars on his land and they didn’t come to tell him about it.
“All that property is not owned by one person,” Pokerwinski said.
Mary Sherwood said, “Since you talked to the auction man, there has been no communication with the auction man since then … Isn’t it disrespectful of him?”
“He didn’t let us know he found a place,” Morgan said. “That was disrespectful… He might sock it to us, I don’t know.”
Trustee Peggy Morgan said the insurance auction man might have thought since township officials considered letting him use township property that it was all right.
“They are business owners in the township,” said Trustee Don Swinson. “He should follow the obligation to follow the rules.”
“You’re dealing with a crisis,” said Acting Supervisor Morgan. “These cars had to be moved, right then… We shouldn’t get in their way…”
“Sumpter Township was not part of the crisis,” Pokerwinski said.