A few months ago, Strickland and his brother, Paul, bought two houses on Camellia Street, not far from Austin Acres subdivision. The siblings began rehabbing the houses, one of which Strickland said was all but trashed.

But as the brothers began making improvements to the house at 600 Camellia St., other residents along the street began complaining. In a letter to the town, the neighbors faulted the Stricklands for leaving trash strewn about the backyard and at the end of a dead-end side street, where the brothers keep an old barn used for storage. The letter was signed by Helen Stanley, Iris Scarborough, Clarice Barnes, Bill and Peggy Edwards, Myrtle Lee and Jerry and Jean Withrow.

In addition to the letter, employees at Town Hall have received numerous phone calls about the junk, which also includes cars parked both at and near the Stricklands’ house, Town Clerk Sherry Moser said. Last Thursday, at least three cars were parked between the house and an adjacent garage the Stricklands are also renovating. Another car was parked near their barn, along with a golf cart, a trailer and a boat.

Mayor Linwood Parker didn’t mention the Stricklands by name at a meeting last week, but he did say town officials have repeatedly urged the property owners to clean up their mess. Parker said the owners just don’t seem willing to abide by ordinances that restrict homeowners from throwing trash in their yards and keeping numerous junk cars on the premises.

“We’ve tried to ask them to clean it up, and they just don’t do it,” Parker said. “There’s always a few things that happen in every neighborhood to a degree, and we understand that, but this problem has just carried on and on. We’ve tried to be nice about it, but it appears they’re not willing to correct the problem.”

That fact, the mayor said, might lead the town to correct it for them. But John Strickland said he isn’t breaking any rules. For starters, he said all but one of the cars on his property was registered with the State of North Carolina. (The other is registered in South Carolina.)

Strickland acknowledged that loose items, such as an old refrigerator, are sitting in the yard of the renovated house. But he said he and his brother have been conscientious about removing such things as they’re able.

“Four Oaks has been sending trucks for the debris throughout this whole process, and we’ve been loading them up with things to haul off,” he said. “If they don’t come out on their own, we schedule a time for them to come by when it’s convenient for them.”

Strickland said the town was aware that the house was under construction and therefore in transition. “We’ve explained to the town over and over that when it’s finished, we’ll be more than happy to clean everything up,” he said. “If it’s an eyesore to people, I suggest they just look the other way.”

Parker and the other members of the Board of Commissioners might not wait for the Stricklands to finish their work. The board voted unanimously last week to begin working on an ordinance that would penalize homeowners and renters alike for failure to clean up unsightly messes in a timely fashion.

Those who violate the town’s ordinance on debris would be charged a fee for every day after 30 days that they fail to clean up their property. After 45 days, water and sewer services would be shut off. By law, the homeowners or tenants would then be unable to live in their home until they set things right, Parker said.

“It might seem harsh, but we have ordinances that say you have to do certain things,” the mayor said. “We don’t have time to baby-sit people that won’t comply with those ordinances.”