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SHREVEPORT, La. n (KTBS) — For years, families in west Shreveport have been at odds with a neighbor over the number of vehicles parked in his yard.
“Someone is going to end up getting killed before they do something about it,” said concerned neighbor Terry Womack.
Womack and some of his neighbors believe Daron Williams is running a used car business at the corner of Roosevelt Street and Buncombe Road in the middle of a residential area.
Public records KTBS obtained from the city of Shreveport show zoning inspectors who investigated in 2015 also believed Williams was running a car lot.
The city took Williams to court for a property standards violation but the case was dismissed in 2016.
“How come they can’t do nothing about it, you know? I mean it’s a business in a residential area. Period,” added Womack.
KTBS spoke with Shreveport City Attorney William Bradford. The prosecutor who handled the case no longer works for the city and Bradford doesn’t know reasons for the dismissal, but says, “It is well within a prosecutor’s discretion to dismiss a matter he or she feels does not meet the standards needed for conviction of an offense.”
KTBS counted 15 vehicles parked around Williams’ home in late September — some on pavement, some on grass, some without tags, and one on the side of the street.
Bradford says the city is still working on this case.
“Efforts are currently underway through the zoning administration of the metropolitan planning commission to bring Mr. Williams into compliance with local laws. That agency is currently in the notification phase of that process and the next steps will be to issue citations for Mr. Williams’ current violations. If a citation is issued and the court ultimately rules in favor of the city, Mr. Williams will be subject to fines and possible jail time,” Bradford said in a written response to KTBS 3’s questions.
“We try to get along but he does what he wants the way he wants,” added neighbor Clay Owens. “It don’t matter what the ordinances are, he makes his own rules. My mother has almost been hit three times because she can’t see what’s coming down the road.”
KTBS talked to Williams on the phone when they visited the neighborhood back in September.
“You all know I’m a car dealing, I done told you I’m a car dealer. I told you I have the right to bring my job to my home, without any advertisement being on there, okay? There is nothing being advertised on there, no ‘cars for sale.’ There’s no signs on my vehicles,” Williams said.
Alan Clarke with the Metropolitan Planning Commission says that’s exactly why no action was taken: there’s no proof.
Property standards inspectors found one car posted on Craig’s List a couple years ago, but there is nothing in the law that says you can restrict someone from selling a car on online.
“If he did have advertisements on the car, that would imply he is running a used car lot and then we would be able to take a different approach,” said Clarke. “It’s really driving the neighborhood crazy but right now our hands are tied.”
City ordinance says your cars can be parked on asphalt, concrete or a hard surface — and some of Williams’ vehicles are on grass. MPC forwarded complaints about those to Shreveport Police and is waiting on a response.
Williams also faces a criminal case related to a car that was once on his property. In 2017 he was charged with forgery, accused of faking a car title for a vehicle he wanted to sell.
He has pleaded not guilty and that case is set for trial November 12th.
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