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His neighbors on Chesney Boulevard regard him as friendly, quiet and helpful, particularly if any of them have necessitated someone to repair a generator or a kid’s go-cart.

Word-of-mouth business brings in numerous cash to help him and his wife, Linda, meet expenses.

And it’s something he may not be permitted to do anymore.

After being visited various times by Code Enforcement Officer Henry “Hank” Smith, Casey spoke to the Frostproof City Council in regards to his circumstance Aug. 8 and asked them to make him an exception.

City Manager Tenny R. Croley has since talked with Code Enforcement Officer Henry “Hank” Smith and City Attorney Mark Smith (no relation), who said city codes have prohibited that kind of shop in Casey’s neighborhood for fundamentally as long as he’s lived there.

In a tough economy, if he can’t fetch in cash that way, cash will just get tighter, Casey said.

He’ll probably go on fixing his own machinery for enjoyment, or buy something to repair up and sell, he said.

THE CODE

Article 4 of the Frostproof Unified Land Development Code lists fix shops — except for fine watch repair — amongst the home-based occupations that aren’t allowed.

The prohibited list also includes automotive service and repair, marketing or leasing vehicles, film developing, barber or beauty shops, dining, marketing sales, fortune telling or adult entertainment.

Hank Smith, who does routine patrols of the neighborhoods, said he’s only had two other cases similar to Casey’s in recent weeks.

In one case, a resident had a table by the road retail avocados, cucumbers and tomatoes. He spoke to the resident, and the table was gone by the next day.

The same was true of another resident who had a half dozen bicycles for sale in a utility trailer by the road, Smith said. After being given a courtesy notice, the resident got rid of those, too.

Casey said he doesn’t generate traffic, store items during one night or display items for sale by the road.

City Councilwoman Martha Neher — one of his neighbors — confirmed that.

Council members asked City Attorney Mark Smith to see whether Casey’s shop could be grandfathered beneath older codes.

Croley learned from the city attorney that won’t work. The code has prohibited repair shops for a lot of decades.

Polk County Commissioner Melony Bell represents five cities in the southern half of the county, including Frostproof.

She has fielded similar calls from region residents in the past eight months, and has been amazed at how “big” little government may be at the region level.

She has found that persistent petitioners ordinarily inspire local governments to find an unconventional solution.

“If you don’t take no for an answer, there is a way,” Bell said.

TINKERER

Casey grew up on a farm with his father in Slocomb, Ala. His uncle was a mechanic at the Ford dealership in Frostproof and he learned to work on machinery from both of them.

His family moved to Frostproof in 1957, when he was 8. At age 17, he started helping out as a boy at the Frostproof Ford dealer.

At age 25, he started a three-year enlistment in the U.S. Army military police, and by age 32 was working on vehicles for Coca-Cola in Avon Park.

His most recent mechanic occupation was working on vehicles for Florida Drilling Co., which has since gone out of business, leaving him without work.

His wife’s hours as a secretary for the Frostproof High School guidance counselor were scaled down this year by the Polk County School District, so cash is tight.

Doing odd jobs helps, Casey said, and it keeps him happy.

If his neighbors don’t see him outside, they wonder whether he’s sick, he said.

At his shop one day recently, a neighbor dropped by and asked if he would come over to fix a trailer.

In the past, when he had a big oak tree besides his shop, Casey said he would use the limbs to mount pulleys and lift engines out of cars.

He doesn’t do that now: The work is too heavy, engines have gotten computerized and complicated, and he doesn’t want to hurt local automati fix business.

Casey said he does work on farming instrumentation for a local grove owner. It’s requiring little effort and less highpriced to do that work on-site than fetch it back to his shop.

What he does, he sees it as a service to the community.

“There’s not actually a little engine place around,” he said.

Casey said it’s a niche few may fill if they have to pay labor, license fees and insurance.

NEIGHBOR

Casey’s next door neighbor — Frank Blasio — is a retired 40-year mechanic who also likes to build things.

His wife, Ruthie, a Frostproof native, has lived in that house for 15 years, and he has been married to her for nine.

They have no complaints when it comes to Casey.

“Hollis is Hollis,” Blasio said. “He may be busy for two weeks or empty for two months. It’s never affected me.”

R.C. and Mary Downing live diagonally throughout the street from Casey, in the opposite direction as Beasley and Blasio. Casey has purchased tools from them at yard sales, mowed grass for them and others, and even looked at a bad generator for them.

“They are special neighbors, as far as I’m concerned,” Mary Downing said of the Caseys.

As for any noise, the Downings said the only disturbance they’ve had comes from neighbors on another street who get drunk and rowdy at night.