Natrona County has filed lawsuits against two property owners for repeatedly violating health and safety codes, according to district court records.

The county, through its attorney Bill Knight, filed the complaints after inspections revealed numerous unlicensed vehicles, weeds and piles of trash that form havens for vermin, refrigerators posing a danger to children, and possible toxic waste.

"You have complaints from other people that these properties look like salvage yards and they diminish property values," Knight said Friday.

Besides property value issues, the unkempt properties foster environmental and fire hazards, he said.

The county is asking the court to issue injunctions against the defendants to stop the violations, and to fine them up to $750 each day that the violation was known to happen.

The defendants are Gregory C. Layton, whose property is at 9945 N. Osage in the Homa Hills subdivision north of Casper; and William G. McCracken, Billy B. McCracken and Darrell McCracken, whose property is at 5863 Okeepa Road in the Indian Springs subdivision west of Casper, according to the complaints.

None of the McCrackens had telephone listings.

Layton didn't return a phone call seeking comment.

Knight said the county has had code enforcement issues for years with Layton, who has not permitted county inspectors on his property.

So the county obtained an administrative search warrant for Layton's property, and inspectors executed the warrant on Oct. 1, according to this complaint filed Oct.16.

The code, building, fire, health and animal control officers who conducted the inspections found more than 25 unlicensed or inoperable vehicles; eight camper trailers; two mobile home frames; piles of tires, wood and bricks that could be havens for rodents; 15 barrels of household trash, and a pile of empty five-gallon water bottles; nine refrigerators without their doors removed; washers, dryers and stoves in unusable condition; three boats on trailers; four mobile homes in dilapidated condition; seven shacks in dilapidated condition; buildings without proper permits and multiple dwellings connected to a septic tank permitted for one dwelling.

The McCrackens' property had been inspected several times this year, and requests for compliance went unheeded, according to the complaint filed by the county on Oct. 26.

Inspectors have found a dilapidated fifth-wheel trailer that qualifies as a dangerous building; more than four unlicensed or inoperable vehicles; two travel trailers; weeds and piles of tires, wood, appliances and other debris that could be havens for vermin; a refrigerator and barrels with possible toxins.

Knight said he met with one of the McCrackens on Friday and he seemed interested in cooperating.

"If he does what he says he'll do we'll probably dismiss the complaint," Knight said.

Reach Tom Morton at (307) 266-0592, or at tom.morton@trib.com. Read his blog at tribtown.trib.com/TomMorton/blog