Three arrested, property considered dangerous after raid at property east of Lawrence

A yellow danger sign at the edge of the property said county officials had deemed the building unsafe for anyone to occupy or live inside.

Three Lawrence men were arrested in connection with a significant two-day raid that ended Thursday at a property just east of Lawrence.

Two of the men, ages 50 and 57, were arrested Wednesday in Topeka and a 57-year-old man was arrested in Lawrence, according to Douglas County jail records. Federal prosecutors have released no information about the arrests or officers’ investigation at 1706 N. 1500 Road, home to All Seasons Tree Service.

A yellow danger sign left at the edge of the property said county officials had deemed the building unsafe for anyone to occupy or live inside. Douglas County zoning and codes director Keith Dabney said the home could eventually be condemned if the homeowners do not address structural, electrical and plumbing issues.

“The porches have fallen off; it’s got some significant issues with it,” Dabney said.

He said the home was also the subject of an ongoing zoning violation. Dozens of old cars and trucks on the property have been a long-standing source of controversy involving state and county officials.

Dabney said the county went in and cleaned up the property several years ago, but it has returned to being littered with “junk vehicles, trash and other miscellaneous debris.”

He could not say whether the zoning and safety issues had anything to do with the criminal investigation. Officers had left the scene Thursday afternoon.