Town Cracks Down On Illegal 'Yard Sale,' Scrap Yard In Mastic

MASTIC, NY — Officials cracked down on an illegal "yard sale" and scrap yard operation in Mastic, members of the town board said.

On August 27, the Town of Brookhaven's law department took action and enforced a New York State Supreme Court order to remove the operation, located at 1600 Montauk Highway in Mastic, town officials said in a release.

The business had been operating for months in the rear parking lot of the shopping center without the consent of the property owner, town officials said.

The enforcement was executed with the cooperation of the property owner who had attempted to remove the illegal business earlier in the year but was unsuccessful, the release said. The yard sale/scrap yard was also the source of numerous complaints by adjacent commercial property owners and local residents, officials said.

The action against the illegal operation and clean-up was delayed as a result of the courts being closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, officials said.

“The hardworking people of Mastic deserve a much better quality of life and we will not allow illegal activity like this to threaten the community," said Brookhaven Town Supervisor Ed Romaine.

He thanked the town's law department for their efforts to clean up the property, as well as Suffolk County Police for their help.

“The tri-hamlet community is on the rise," said Brookhaven Town Councilman Dan Panico. "This situation would have been resolved long ago if the district court was functioning."

However, he added, the town was successful in obtaining an order from State Supreme Court to address the issues at the site.

"The property owner would be wise to take an active role in maintaining the property and addressing the town code violations that exist there because we are serious about cleaning up the community and will follow up on all complaints," Panico said.

The enforcement action was a coordinated effort led by the town's law department and department of recycling and sustainable materials management as well as the Suffolk County Police Department’s Seventh Precinct.