West Torrens councillor Kym McKay proposes $1000 fine for untidy front yards TELL US: Should homeowners be fined for untidy front yards? HOMEOWNERS whose properties double as a junkyard would be fined $1000 and have the properties cleaned up at their own cost, in a plan under consideration by a western suburbs council. West Torrens councillor Kym McKay said he had received dozens of complaints in the past four years from residents over "eyesores" in Underdale and Lockleys, and now was the time to act across the region. They were fed up with junk such as old cars, wooden chairs, tyres and scrap iron littering neighbouring properties, Cr McKay said. He will move a motion at the council's next meeting, on April 16, asking the State Government to introduce a bylaw allowing councils to forcibly remove the junk from properties, fine owners up to $1000, and charge them for the removal. He said the council was powerless to clean up unsightly properties without a court order. The council could only avoid the court process if clutter was creating a hygiene issue, such as being infested with rats, or if it was a fire hazard, he said. After a lengthy legal battle, the owner of an Underdale home was last month ordered by the Adelaide Magistrates Court to clean up the property within 21 days. That order expires next week but neighbours are concerned that, even if the property is cleaned up, it would return to its untidy state within a matter of months. Cr McKay said locals had told him they were concerned about the effect of unsightly properties on home values. "Neighbours should not have to put up with it," he said. West Torrens Mayor John Trainer agreed that councils needed more power to force owners to clean up unsightly properties. "We need more power to get things done, we refer the matter to the courts but they take so long to get anything done," Mr Trainer said. It is not fair for the people who have to live near the properties. Local Government Association President Kim McHugh said "junk yard" homes caused a great deal of concern for residents across the state. He said existing State Government laws did not give councils adequate tools to manage the problem. "The (State) Government's work with the LGA on environmental nuisances through new legislation may also be a vehicle to address this issue," Mr McHugh said. We are currently consulting on these proposals with councils (and) will be interested to analyse the proposal from West Torrens.