Watertown Daily Times
One of the toilet gardens owned by Frederick âHankâ Robar Sr. is seen on Market Street in Potsdam.
(Provided photo â Christopher Lenney, Watertown Daily Times) POTSDAM The roughly 17-year fight over one man’s toilet gardens spread across the village was settled Wednesday. Frederick “Hank” Robar Sr. filed a federal lawsuit against the village last August seeking no less than $7 million in damages as the village was again attempting to force him remove his toilet gardens. But Jon Crain of Whiteman Osterman & Hanna LLP, Albany, the attorney representing Robar, confirmed Wednesday that the case has been settled.
The potties can stay in Potsdam, putting an end to a 16 year battle over a famous toilet garden in upstate New York.
The Potsdam Village Board of Trustees ordered Frederick “Hank” Robar s famous toilet gardens to be removed in July 2020. The board voted unanimously to have Robar take down his toilets by September 1st for being in violation of the junk storage law. Robar took the case to federal court and won, barring village officials from touching his toilets.
February 1st, the board changed their mind. “After considering the order of United States district court, we hereby rescind the resolution directing Mr. Robar to remove the toilets,” Potsdam Mayor Reinhold Tischler announced Monday.