A judge in Island County Superior Court entered a partial judgment against a Camano Island resident who turned his rural property into a makeshift tenement that violated county health, zoning and building codes.

The court order declares David Muresan’s property a public nuisance and directs him to stop renting out buildings and space for vehicles, obtain a septic system inspection and complete recommended repairs, and remove unpermitted electrical and plumbing systems.

Muresan asserted at a hearing that some of his tenants were previously homeless and that he offers a “decent place for poor people.”

The Island County Prosecutor’s Office filed a public nuisance complaint against Muresan on Dec. 23, 2021 after several years of complaints by neighbors and countless efforts by multiple county departments — including stop work orders, fines, hearing examiner decisions and administrative orders — failed to fix the problems.

The complaint and other documents describe dangerous and unsanitary conditions on the property. They state that Muresan unlawfully converted a garage into living units for 10-15 people and also rented out trailer space to numerous other people living in trailers, campers and tents.

As a result, a septic tank for a three-bedroom house was overloaded and failed. Muresan unlawfully tried to fix a failed drain field by himself.

The complaint states that the unlawfully converted garage poises numerous fire, electrical and other hazards, including exposed wiring, open electrical boxes and a lack of smoke detectors or required sprinklers.

“In the event of a fire in that crowded building, several renters and their visitors would be trapped due to lack of required egress,” the prosecutor’s office asserted.

One of the RVs on the property with someone living inside burned to the ground in January, according to documents.

The complaint states that Muresan covered his property with junk cars and exposed neighbors to “piles of junk, rotting garbage, burning garbage, foul smells, unsightly conditions, blight, noise and poor sanitation. “

Island County Superior Court Judge Carolyn Cliff ruled on the partial judgment March 14. The Prosecutor’s Office will likely return to court on the unresolved issues, such as the junk cars and garbage, according to Island County Prosecutor Greg Banks.