Heights man overwhelmed by support

He says he is grateful to the people who want to help, but doesn't know if he can accept it

ELMIRA HEIGHTS -- Bob Sindelar only wanted the village of Elmira Heights to leave him alone.

Sindelar never expected the outpouring of community support he received Monday after a Star-Gazette story about his ongoing battle with the village over accumulated items in his yard.

Sindelar, who was fined by the village for several code violations this summer, said he received phone calls all day Monday from people who offered to pay his fine or help him haul the stuff away.

Sindelar, who spends most of his time caring for a daughter who was severely injured in a 1990 car accident, said he doesn't know what to make of all the support.

"I don't want sympathy or money." said Sindelar, 61. "People have been coming to my door and offering to help. People wanted to give me money for the fine. One guy from Florida said he'd pay for a bulldozer to dig a hole in my yard and hide everything. I've got good stuff here. It isn't all junk."

Sindelar has been fighting with the village since the early 1990s. He is the full-time caregiver for his semicomatose daughter, Carla, 27, and said he doesn't have the money or the physical strength left to remove all the items from his yard.

The village cited him for storing old appliances, lumber, furniture and other items on his property. He was recently fined $100 in village court.

Sindelar said he believes the village has a vendetta against him.

The village of Elmira Heights is not the evil empire Sindelar wants people to believe, said trustee Arthur Caparula, who added that the village is not devoid of compassion in hardship cases.

"I'm sure the village will work with this guy if he wants to take care of it a little bit at a time," Caparula said. "A lot of people don't like code enforcement. These are the rules and the laws we've got and we've got to live by them. Nothing has to happen overnight. Just clean it up and we'll work with you."

Sindelar's story struck a sympathetic nerve with others in the community. Jimmie Irazarry of Elmira said the village should cut Sindelar some slack.

"They could at least bend the rules and help him out," Irazarry said. "He's taking care of his girl. They should have shown more compassion."

Tracy Stout of Elmira said she and her three children, ages 16, 9 and 8, are willing to help Sindelar clean up his property.

"I'm a single parent and I know it's hard sometimes," Stout said. "I don't like to ask people for help. I like to do it on my own. My kids were going to take their allowances to pay for him to take the stuff to the dump."

Sindelar said he is grateful for all the support, but doesn't know if he can accept it.

"I always did for people. I never had anyone do for me," he said. "If I do that, I'll probably have to move. I won't be able to face myself if I take charity from people and let people fight my battles for me."