CLOVER, SC (WBTV) - When people drive by John Ramsay's home in Clover they may see a pile of junk in his side yard and Ramsey would agree with you.
"It's junk, just junk," said Ramsay.
But he also sees much more.
"I can get maybe $40 to $45 for this transmission and I have two of them," said Ramsey. "This pile of aluminum and old pots I can get $30 to $40 for a big pile."
He says can get $40 for 100 pounds of aluminum cans he collects too.
"If I see one under the red light up there I'll stop and get it ‘cause I know that's a penny," said Ramsey.
Collecting the things that others don't want all to help the 78 year old Korean War Veteran, pay the bills.
"What I make I spend it the same week," said Ramsey. "A lot of weeks I don't sell anything."
Selling junk, scraping by for food and medicine for his wife for 18 years he said he never had a complaint
However, a year ago he got a letter from the Town of Clover telling him he needed to clean his yard or be fined or even be put in jail.
"I didn't think it be against the law to try and make a little bit of money," said Ramsey.
"Mr. Ramsey does not have a business license to operate a salvage yard from his home," said Joe Funderburk with the Town of Clover code enforcement.
Funderburk says after five months of non-compliance he issued Ramsey a citation for not cleaning his yard, and that ticket evolved to a jury trial yesterday in which Ramsey lost.
"Failed to comply, he failed to work things out and I regret that it resulted in the actions we had to take," said Fundreburk.
"They were going to put me in jail for 30 days or charge me from $500 to $1000," said Ramsey.
The judge commuted that sentence just as long as Ramsay cleans up his yard within six months.
"I can get rid of it but it's a waste of my money," said Ramsey.
He says the junk is his only income and selling it for that matter the only job he has.
"I've been doing it all my life ever since I was 12 years old and I'm 78 years old and it's helping me now," said Ramsey.
The city of Clover says they will help Mr. Ramsey clean up his yard all he has to do is put what he wants thrown away on the street and sanitation crews will throw it away for him.
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