Ex-candidate in Wauseon facing blight charges

11/3/2006

WAUSEON - A former Wauseon mayoral candidate is to appear before a magistrate next week on charges that he has again violated the city's zoning and maintenance code.

Fulton County Common Pleas Judge James Barber denied the city's Oct. 31 request for a temporary restraining order against Otis Plassman, according to court filings made yesterday. But the judge ordered a hearing on the city's preliminary injunction request for next Thursday before Magistrate Richard Altman.

City code Administrator Tom Hall wrote to Mr. Plassman in June with complaints about five of his properties, including Mr. Plassman's home at 837 Third St., calling them "a blighting factor on the neighborhood."

The city asked the court for a temporary restraining order, preliminary injunction, and permanent injunction prohibiting Mr. Plassman from taking items to any location in Wauseon that were not for his immediate consumption. Also named in the city's motion for a restraining order is Kim Plassman. In its complaint for an injunction, the city names Joyce Plassman along with Mr. Plassman.

Mr. Plassman, who has fought with the city on similar charges for years, said his properties were "somewhat" of a mess. "We're going to have to clean them up regardless," he said.

But the construction worker and recycler, who unsuccessfully ran for mayor in 1999, pointed out that he is 77, has been hospitalized recently, and "my get-up-and-go got up and went."

In 2003, Mrs. Plassman lost his appeal before Toledo's 6th District Court of Appeals over zoning offenses.

Mr. Plassman contended then that his rights were violated by a Wauseon board of zoning appeals decision to deny him additional time to clean up his properties. That decision was affirmed by Fulton County Common Pleas Court.

In 1999, he was found guilty of failing to abide by an order of the city's code administrator.