The site, adjacent to Paradise Mobile Home Park, was used for an auction in December. However, a variety of items remain on the property, including pickup trucks, lawn chairs, concrete mixers and numerous cardboard boxes.

“It’s a junky mess down there,” said Tom Olson, planner and environmental engineering technician for Leavenworth County.

Olson sent a letter a month ago to David Van Parys, county counselor, seeking legal action.

And after a visit to the site Monday afternoon, Van Parys said he would seek a permanent injunction and temporary restraining order in Leavenworth County District Court. The action would be filed against landowner David Vassar, according to Van Parys.

Attempts to reach Vassar were unsuccessful.

The county did issue a temporary permit for an auction on the property in December.

“It was for one day only,” Van Parys said. “And he’s still advertising for consignment sales.”

That’s a violation of county regulations prohibiting operation of salvage/junk yards without a permit, he said.

“If the landowner refuses to do it, we can get the state or county crew to clean the property and assess the costs against the property,” Van Parys said.

Penalties for operating an illegal salvage/junk yard include a fine of up to $500 a day for each day of the violation.

“Most illegal junkyards are relatively hidden because they don’t want the attention, but this guy is rather brazen about it,” Van Parys said.