Moving Day: 'Compound' Squatters Evicted

BUTTE — After years of junk, trash, and unwanted neighbors, the problem property often referred to as ‘the compound’ on South Bodenburg Loop in Butte was subject to a mass eviction by the Alaska State Troopers on Friday morning.

Shortly after 9 a.m., a half-dozen Alaska State Troopers vehicles arrived on scene at ‘the compound’ which is distinguishable not only by the burned building in the front of the property, but hundreds of junk vehicles strewn about the property leading back towards the Butte itself.

“I think it’s great that progress is happening and this place is going to be cleaned up. It’s been definitely frustrating for us to not be able to, with the tools that we have, and with the absent landowner, to not be able to meet the demand of the community to get that cleaned up,” Alex Strawn said.

Strawn works as the Development Services Manager for the Mat-Su Borough and oversees the code enforcement operation that has struggled to rid the problem property of the unwanted neighbors. Persistent problems of noise, junk, trash, and unsavory crimes at the compound have motivated Butte residents to take action. Sen. Shelley Hughes met with the Butte Community Council in September to begin organizing the eviction of the unwanted neighbors on the compound. The Mat-Su Borough began their legal process of pursuing a lawsuit against the owners of the property that had outstanding junk and trash ordinance violations dating back to 2015.

Read more: https://www.frontiersman.com/news/moving-day-compound-squatters-evicted/article_fb70626c-07ef-11ea-82ba-83459a0f438f.html
(Mat Su Frontiersman)