Man fails to clean up home

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ROCK FALLS – A Rock Falls man evicted in February and told to clean up his squalid house by May 1 has not complied with that court order, according to the city’s attorney.

No work has been completed on Ronald Halgren’s house at 812 Avenue A, and the yard has not been mowed and is littered with trash, attorney Tom Sanders said at a hearing Thursday.

“I can’t see a scratch of any work that’s being done,” Sanders said.

Halgren, 67, a disabled Vietnam veteran, has lived in the house 45 years, and has been at odds with the city for years over its chronically unkempt condition.

The city has said the roof, handrails and siding need repair. In addition, Halgren hasn’t been hooked into utilities, as required by city law, since November 2007.

In May, city officials agreed to turn on the utilities if Halgren paid the outstanding bills. Whiteside County Judge Stanley Steines gave Halgren 60 days to get the home up to code.

Halgren told Steines Thursday that he has been unable to complete the work. He sought help from Tri-County Opportunities Council, but they had no money to give him, he told the judge.

Steines did not charge Halgren with contempt, but said he still might. He suggested that Halgren could give up the property.

“I don’t know what to do from here,” he told Halgren. “If you truly want to walk away from this, that’s up to you.”

A status hearing is July 30.

In the meantime, Halgren has until Thursday to hand over the keys to two vehicles sitting in his yard. City workers will inspect them, and if they don’t run, they will be towed.

The city has complained about the vehicles for years, Halgren noted. They are operable and aren’t up on blocks, and so should not be towed, he said.

Halgren declined to comment after the hearing.