PZC To Take Legal Action Against Used Car Lot Owner

The Planning and Zoning Commission voted this week to pursue legal action against the owner of .

“The commission took action to have corporation counsel take legal action for failing to comply with the cease and desist order,” said Planning and Zoning Administrator Rick Schultz Wednesday.

Back in September, the city issued a cease and desist order to Michael and Patricia Sninsky, owners of the used car sales lot, at One Seneca Trail, to immediately stop parking and/or storing more than eight cars on the property, as well as cease outside storage of motor vehicle parts/junk material on the property.

The Commission found the owners were in violation of their state Department of Motor Vehicle license for a used car dealership, as well as their approved certificate of zoning compliance. Schultz said the license limited the total number of vehicles to a maximum of eight that could be on the property, and also prohibited the outside storage of motor vehicle parts and junk car parts.

The order was issued on September 21, and gave the owners 10 days to remove excess vehicles and all outdoor motor vehicle parts and junk materials. Because the owners failed to comply with the order, the commission decided to start legal proceedings.

The Sninskys did not return a phone call seeking comment late Wednesday.

The Sninskys are currently being sued by the owners of a neighboring business, , who claim the used car lot has not been used for that purpose for years, but instead has turned into a major eyesore of a junkyard.

Attorney Richard Volo, of Derby, representing AJ’s owners Adriano and Joann Monaco, had said the lawsuit was filed because the Sninskys are in violation of zoning regulations.

Joann Monaco told the commission last month that the property is plagued by overgrowth of weeds and shrubs, which have become entangled in a fence separating the properties; mold on the building and rusty cars and car parts.

Schultz said the city received a formal complaint in August about the “improper operation” of Pine Rock Auto Sales. An inspection of the property was done by city zoning officials in September, and again in November, where at one time, upwards of 20 cars were being stored there.

The city then determined the owner was operating a motor vehicle junkyard, as defined by state statutes, rather than a used car dealership.

Volo said a Jan. 19 hearing date has been set for the matter to be discussed in court.