WAIALUA, Hawaii (KHON2) — Honolulu police opened a criminal littering investigation in connection to the large trailer container that was left on the side of Kaukonahua Road after a viewer reached out through KHON2 News’ Report It feature.
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The trailer was allegedly left there during the evening of Sunday, Oct. 1 and nearby property owners are worried they will have to foot the bill to remove it.
Jeanne Bennett lives on one of the farm lots next to Kaukonahua Road and pays into a common fund that maintains the private road behind where the trailer was left.
“We’ve also gone through the trouble of maintaining this gravel area so that people either coming in or coming out, sometimes the community even pulls over on this spot and uses it as like a hand off so they don’t have to drive all the way in,” Bennett said.
The trailer is on that gravel, which is private property. Bennett had some questions since a criminal investigation has been opened.
“Six days later,” she said, “now, where is all the evidence, you know? Are they going to come down and take fingerprints? Are we responsible if somebody hits it in the middle of the night because they swerve off the road and now they sue us?”
The president of the Kaala Farm View Lot condominium association said the City has previously removed smaller vehicles from this private property — as long as the object interfered with public right of way.
“I don’t know the exact number, 15 feet from the road, 20 feet from the road,” Frank Hinshaw said. “So if it’s on the right of way, it’s within that boundary, it’s easier for the City do do something. If it’s completely off the right of way, then it’s completely on my property.”
KHON2 is waiting to hear back from the City on where the right of way boundary extends to, Bennett said she called a private company that can remove the trailer for $15,000.
“So you either leave it there for everybody else to deal with as a safety issue,” Bennett said, “or you end up having to take care of it yourself, and it shouldn’t be that way. It should be, we’re all in this together.”
Residents pointed out that even if the trailer container is on private property, it is posing a public safety issue and they would be willing to sign a waver from the City so officials will get it out.
“I don’t have an issue with the ground getting torn up, give us a waiver, we’ll be happy to sign it,” Bennett said, “Okay, let’s do something, let’s just not give lip service.”
Bennett said the owner of the container itself has been contacted and asked to remove it, KHON2 will continue to follow up with police, City officials and property owners until it is gone.
