LAUDERHILL, Fla. – A South Florida restaurant is being called a nuisance and the owners are now facing close to $10,000 in fines from the city of Lauderhill.
Father and Son Smoke til U Choke BBQ Restaurant didn't have a dumpster when the manager of a neighboring warehouse complex claimed someone from the restaurant had been dumping trash -- including rotting food waste -- on their property.
Bennie Roth said she caught the culprit in a blue pick-up truck on her property and confronted the person.
"I started yelling at him that I was going to call the police, and he said 'Ah! Ah! Ah!' jumped in his truck and he took off," Roth said.
Back in March, the city of Lauderhill issued Gene Cross, the owner of Father and Son Smoke til U Choke BBQ Restaurant, a violation accusing him of accumulating trash on the property, because the restaurant had no required a dumpster.
A spokesman for the city of Lauderhill said the code enforcement fines reached $9,500. State inspectors from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation are aware of the issues too.
An Inspector was at the restaurant in May, June, July and earlier this month. One inspector determined the situation was a public health hazard and could cause a rodent issue.
Cross admitted to owning the pick-up truck, but he said that he didn't know anything about illegal dumping. Last week, Cross finally complied with the official's request and placed a dumpster at his restaurant.