Fence owner fined $100 for not complying with county order
Add a $100 fine - and the threat of criminal action - to the list of problems plaguing a Glen Ellyn man who constructed a fence to spite his neighbors.
The DuPage County planning department levied the fine Monday after inspectors discovered Tony Fiasche had not shaved two feet off of the 8-foot fence to comply with an order issued more than a month ago.
Rich Killebrew, the county's regulatory services manager, said Fiasche now has 14 days to pay the fine and lower the fence or the matter will become a criminal issue and handled by State's Attorney Joseph Birkett's office.
The fence runs along Fiasche's property in an unincorporated portion of the county near the intersection of Swift Road and North Avenue in Lombard. He uses the property to store commercial equipment. It abuts the home of Barb MacMillan and Don Daniszewski, who have been feuding with Fiasche and his brother for years over the fence and other property issues.
The fence has done its intended job of keeping his neighbors off his property, but it's had the unintended consequence of landing Fiasche in court quite frequently. In August, he was sued by MacMillan for negligence when she fell against it while gardening and scraped her side on several nails protruding through the fence. A few days later his brother Simon was arrested when he refused to leave his neighbors' property while removing the spikes poking through the fence. Then a few days after that, both brothers were accused of attacking Daniszewski while working on the fence again. They were charged with battery in connection with the fight and arrested nearly a month later after a sheriff's office investigation.
Fiasche's attorney Pat Weiland did not return calls seeking comment about why the fence had not been shortened.
In addition to the fence issue, county officials are also monitoring a wetlands rebuilding project Fiasche was required to undertake after he illegally filled in some wetlands on the northern half of his property several months ago.