He's here 30 years? I dont know the guy and yes, can sympathize that he wants to remain with his family, but according to this, he has a history of breaking rules.
http://westhawaiitoday.com/news/local-news/state-group-east-hawaii-subdivision-broke-law

"Holley said Ellis was asked to remove the structures that had encroached on state land following an inspection in 2010, but after the recent inspection it was clear this request “had gone unheeded.” Additionally, Ellis had been renting the structures on the state land, called “jungalows,” for $400 a month “on a consistent basis” since 2006.

“Just the preponderance of conducting a commercial real estate business on state land without permits from the state, then to mandate the VGS to remove them and be deceived is heinous in itself,” Holley wrote in his report. “The underlying factor is the arrogance and deceit that the VGS and Graham Ellis live by. Without swift and serious penalties their conduct will continue.”