A Belding man was arrested last week after he illegally removed property from a vacant house southwest of downtown Greenville.
The Montcalm County Sheriff Department reported that a neighbor called and said they saw a man removing items from an unoccupied residence that was for sale at 10061 Fletcher Road. Deputies responded to the scene, and were in the process of interviewing the witness and property owner when the witness saw the suspect’s vehicle drive past the scene. Deputies initiated a traffic stop and identified the suspect as a 46-year-old Belding man.
The man told officers he was in the process of purchasing the home, and that the realtor told him he could begin cleaning up the property. Deputies contacted the realtor in charge of the property, and they refuted his claim. They said no one had made an offer on the property, nor had they given anyone permission to clean it up. The realtor did tell officers that the man had been speaking with them expressing interest in the property, however.
The man was arrested and lodged in the Montcalm County jail for larceny from a building and driving while license suspended. The incident remains under investigation.