The waiting game is over for people who live near the Life O'Riley trailer park.
"It feels good to know that they're finally doing something with it," said Aaron Lee, who lives across the street from the mobile home part. "I mean it's been sitting there for what two years, over two years now, so it's about time something is happening."
Property owners had until June 18 to have the state health department and Department of Environmental Quality deem the park livable again. But they didn't.
Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero says the owner, William Whalen, had plenty of time to get everything in order.
"They had time to do it and now we will take steps to do that to get it cleaned up and we'll give them the bill," Bernero said. "We have the power to do that under certain circumstances and we do here."
He says the property has been an issue he's wanted to deal with for years but couldn't because the state was overseeing the property.
Since the state has revoked the owners' license the city now has the green light to step in.
"We're prepared to go to court, either today or tomorrow, to get the order. Go in clean it up"said Bernero. "Give the neighbors some relief and so today marks a new chapter for the Life O'Riley."
Lansing filed two complaints against the property Monday. The first would label the trailer park as a public nuisance and condemned.
The second would make sure the owners can't bar the city from the property. That isn't something the city has to do but a shakey relationship with the owners and the city warrants the courts involvements.
"We can expect some challenges in terms of giving the tract record history in terms of trying to get the ownership to do the right thing and comply," said Bob Johnson, director of Planning and Neighborhood Development.
