The city is flexing its legal muscles and may be getting close to a settlement, he said.
“We’re working through the legal process, including and not limited to settlement discussion,” Boling said by phone, “meaning the property owner is willing to stop new containers and work on a phased approach to remove the containers that are on site now in return for dismissal of the litigations.”
The shipping containers relocated to Ontario following the financial collapse of Hanjin Shipping Co., the world’s seventh-largest shipper. Thousands of empty containers — some owned by the shipper, others leased out to other companies — began piling up at the space-challenged, busy Los Angeles and Long Beach port complex.
City zoning however doesn’t allow for storage of shipping containers in the southern, agriculture part of town. Local officials also voiced concerns that truck traffic would plague nearby residents and impact home sales in the Ontario Ranch housing development now under construction.
The city has filed suit in San Bernardino County Superior Court against the local property owners and logistics companies. Named in the various complaints are:
• The Lanting Family LLC (owner) and Gardner Trucking (leasee), with a property on the 9000 block of Merrill Avenue and 8900 block of East Eucalyptus Avenue
• Harold Jay Bollema, with a property on the 8200 block of Schaefer Avenue
• Jay Hong Park, Carnie Chung, Adrian Won, Sylvia Won and Young Lee, with a property on the 8400 block of East Chino Avenue where it meets the 13100 block of South Walker Avenue
• Jean and Catherine Gastelluberry and Fleet Services LLC with a property on the 13600 block of South Grove Avenue
The defendants could not be immediately reached for comment.
Richard Egger, an attorney for Ontario with the Ontario-based law firm Best Best & Krieger, said temporary restraining orders have been issued on the cases involving Merrill Avenue and South Walker Avenue, with hearings set to consider preliminary injunctions to prevent more containers from moving on site.
Rest at http://www.sbsun.com/general-news/20161127/ontario-goes-to-court-to-remove-abandoned-shipping-containers?
