Tri-Towns Bureau

SIDNEY — Wearing a bright orange shirt and red plaid pants, the "Hubcap Man" was in court Tuesday to answer code, vehicle and traffic violations.

Gilbert Lane, who sold hubcaps in Kortright and Walton alongside roadways, has again hung up his sign on a condemned building in Sidney.

Lane said he is living behind the lot at Bird Avenue in the Sherwood Heights area after being evicted from an apartment next door, owned by a nephew, because he didn't pay the rent. He said he had been living there for about a year.

But it wasn't hubcaps or rent that brought Lane into court. Instead, he appeared to answer charges from July that he allegedly repeatedly used his lawn tractor to go grocery shopping. And in September he was charged with having too many unlicensed vehicles on the Bird Avenue property, which is in foreclosure, officials said.

He said he is living in a camper without electricity or running water.

As part of a plea arrangement through his court-appointed attorney, Sarah Braen of Franklin, Lane pleaded guilty to two of the lawn tractor charges. This included driving an unregistered vehicle and not having a "slow-moving vehicle" sticker. He also admitted having more than one uninsured vehicle on the Bird Avenue lot, which is a code violation. Lane received a conditional discharge on these counts.

Related tractor charges — including third-degree aggravated unlicensed operation, operating without insurance and operating an uninspected vehicle — were dismissed.

Village Judge Walter Goodrich told Braen, "If he doesn't meet my conditions, I am forced to put him in jail" and gave Lane until Jan. 1 to remove the eight vehicles.

Turning to Lane, Goodrich said, "I have the feeling you are not going to get those vehicles off (the property). ... I don't want to put you in jail, but I will."

Ed Hoag, village fire and building inspector, said he will inspect the property to enforce the village ordinance.

But Braen said, "I'm sure he will make every effort necessary to satisfy the court. If he is unsuccessful, it won't come from lack of trying."

Lane faced fines of $250 and 15 days in jail on the charges.

Although he agreed to the plea deal in court, Lane later said, "I won't be able to do that. I'll challenge that. They are not showing me any respect."

Although he said he was negotiating with the bank to buy the Bird Avenue property when he was cited for the violations, Lane said if the cars are towed away, "I have no money to buy them back."

His only income, he said, is $800 he receives from the Veterans Administration because of a 100 percent disability. He said he served in the Vietnam War in the 1960s.

Lane said he returned to the area from Center Moriches on Long Island about a year and a half ago. He came to recover from two strokes he had while there, he said.

While on Long Island, he was arrested in 1996 for trying to set up shop on a vacant lot in Patchogue. Previously, Lane had been driven out of Walton in 1989 on similar charges, and he was evicted from his site in Kortright for selling hubcaps before moving to Long Island.

Lane said all his belongings are in the eight unlicensed vehicles he must remove from the property. This includes the red, white and blue "Freedom" van, where he lives.

At 63, Lane said he feels fine and is ready to relocate again. He said if he could sell the vehicles he would like to move to Davenport or Oneonta.

Sidney has "too many restrictions," he said.

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Mark Boshnack can be reached at (607) 563-1493 or starsidney@wirelessthinktank.com.