RVs on private property in Williams County | Video

Chris Williams | 10/2/2012

When you can`t find a place to live because of a housing crunch, it`s nice to have an RV. Residents in Williams County had been allowing people to live in campers on their property, until the county put a moratorium on temporary housing.

Jonathan Byrem lives in Williams County, and was there when his neighbors received the news about living in RVs.

"They said it was an illegal man camp," he said.

The county commission declined numerous attempts for an interview, but did say the temporary housing moratorium includes RVs on private property. But Byrem`s neighbor, Ruth Steen, said she was just trying to help.

"The ground that they were sitting on wasn`t doing anything but sitting there. Wasn`t being planted or anything like that."

The commission has said the extra campers were creating problems with the sewage, and that is one reason they decided to put the ban on temporary housing. Voilators of the ban could have to pay fines.

"If I`d had three campers sitting here they would have charged me $3,000 a day. That doesn`t seem right to me," Steen added.

Residents are allowed have up to three RVs on their property if the people in the RVs are working the land. However, you have to have a building permit and the residents must leave once the work is done.

"The people living here they trimmed the trees, they cleared a whole lot of brush that was overgrown. They moved a lot of trashed and disposed of it," added Byrem.

Steen says there should be some leeway when it comes to people living in campers on private property.

"When you get land in the county you expect to be able to do something without the officials interfering with what you`re doing. Within reason of course."

County commissioners are revisiting the ban on RVs at their next meeting.

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