Banyai: "I moved here to live out the rest of my life"

A PORT MANSFIELD MAN has taken on the Willacy County Navigation District's architectural rules, and is at risk of being evicted from his property. Steve Banyai says he is making needed improvements to the building he lives in, and the district says he is a nuisance, and is in the process of terminating his lease.

A Port Mansfield man was served a 30-day notice by the Willacy County Navigation District to vacate the property that he has lived on for almost three years. The board voted on March 12th to terminate the 30-year lease claiming that the man is a nuisance to the community.

Steve Banyai, 53, received the letter last Wednesday, and said that he is being harassed and spied on by Michael Wilson, the district's general manager.

"He was peeking over my fence and taking photos," said Banyai, referring to Wilson. "I filed a complaint with the Willacy County sheriff's department, but nothing was done."

Banyai came to Port Mansfield from Galveston where he was the last holdout of a doomed city trailer park.

"This isn't the first place I've been run out of," he said. "I'm making improvements and don't want people telling me what I can and cannot do," referring to Wilson.

Wilson declined to comment due to pending litigation, but did provide the Chronicle/ News with public documents that were requested.

The March 17th eviction letter states, "All improvements on the leased property must be kept in a painted, attract(ive) condition, and lots must be kept mow(ed), and clean of trash, junk, and weeds."

Banyai gave the Chronicle/ News a guided tour of his property and expressed his vision of what his past and future improvements will entail.

"I've removed the old windows and am adding three extra layers of block to the walls," Banyai explained. "I'm going to install slanted storm windows, as the old covered windows made it very dark inside."

Banyai is particularly proud of the many avocado and papaya trees that he has planted, along with colorful flowers.

He did take out a building permit for the work, but is beyond his time extensions with the district.

Banyai purchased the building for $34,200 in 2005 with proceeds from a lawsuit settlement that he received in the past. He claims that all of what Willson calls junk is building and other usable materials

Most residents in Port Mansfield lease the property and own the structures and improvements. His current lease, which has a co-signer, expires in 2016.

Banyai stands to lose his entire investment if the district is successful in evicting him from the property.

"I came here to live out the rest of my life," he said. "This man has caused me to become sick because of what he is doing to me," referring to Wilson, and the district's inspections and warnings of his alleged violations of a newly passed nuisance ordinance.

However, the lease that Banyai accepted, is clear about lesseeholder responsibilities for lot and building conditions.

The district is also concerned about Banyai's personal safety due to walls being down, and also building and other debris that can become missiles in a wind storm or in flooding.

The district now has their attorney involved in the lease dispute, and Banyai has asked Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid for assistance in his case.

Chronicle/News on-line subscribers are invited to view a 6-1/ 2 minute video on the newspaper's website, where Banyai explains his plans and troubles with Wilson. The Navigation District declined a video appointment.

After reading this article and viewing the video, please take the Chronicle/News on-line reader poll, and vote whether Banyai should be allowed to stay or be evicted.