2010-07-23 12:33:00 PDT Lima, OH 45801, United States — (07-23) 12:33 PDT Lima, Ohio (AP) --
An Ohio man who claimed that his American Indian ancestry makes him exempt from city nuisance laws has been ordered to clean up two homes that have fallen into disrepair.
A judge told William Bowersock on Thursday that he has 30 days to take care of the properties in Lima (LY'-muh).
The judge rejected Bowersock's argument that he had seceded from the local government and formed his own Indian reservation, thereby making him exempt from the city's property code.