Middletown razes illegal garage of 'sovereign citizen' who says he's not 'bound by any law'

While Curtis G. Smith appeared in court Tuesday on weapons charges, police and code enforcement representatives descended on his Middletown home to start undoing the illegal construction work there.

More than a half-dozen police vehicles were posted near the 500 block of Langhorne-Yardley Road, at Valley View Drive, while a construction subcontractor razed a detached, cinder-block garage built without permits.

The structure isn’t the only improvement on the property that authorities allege that Smith has illegally done since purchasing the property in August 2022.  Demo crews will return Wednesday to remove a winding stamped concrete driveway, said township Solicitor Jim Esposito.

Middletown authorities allege Smith added a second driveway that encroaches on a PennDOT right of way, a home addition in the rear, vinyl fence, retaining wall, concrete patio and a shed like structure to the property without going through the proper legal channels.

Middletown requires property owners seek permits or variances for those kinds of improvements.

Smith, 42, considers himself a sovereign citizen, a movement whose adherents believe the government is the illegitimate product of a conspiracy that subverted the original, lawful government, according to the Anti Defamation League.

Smith has invoked "sovereign citizenship" as his reason for not seeking variances and permits the township requires, Esposito confirmed on Tuesday.

“He doesn’t believe he’s bound by any law, other than original common law, something like that. It’s hard to interpret his writings on this,” Esposito said. “All of this is a serious matter, but it’s just sort of hard to believe, too.”

Attempts to reach Smith over the past few months have been unsuccessful.

For the last year, Middletown's office of Building and Zoning has engaged in a legal back-and-forth in the court system with Smith over the property improvements. Smith received three days notice that the township would raze the illegally built garage, Esposito said.

Middletown has issued a string of violations and stop work orders against Smith starting in September 2022, which he has ignored, township officials said. They allege Smith escalated construction on his property without permits and approvals.

The township's Director of Building and Zoning Jim Ennis said Smith had been given numerous warnings about construction on his property.

“We’ve given him every opportunity to comply, and it’s been ongoing for 20 months. We told him when he was doing this he wouldn't be able to keep this,” he said, motioning toward the stamped concrete driveway.

When the township issued citations and stop work orders, Smith would sometimes return them stamped in red ink, "United states of America Republic.. Refused/Returned/Offer Not Accepted, No Contact, this instrument if VOID, I am a non-citizen national-foreign to the U.S....No Jurisdiction," Ennis said.

Last September, a Courier Times reporter sought Smith's version of events, but there was no answer. At the time, Middletown Police Chief Joseph Bartorilla advised the reporter not to make a second attempt seeking comment from Smith. A phone number listed on the side of a truck parked in Smith's driveway was called, and a message left seeking comment, but the call was never returned.

Last year, a week after losing another court case, Smith transferred ownership of his home to the C.G.S.J Trust, according to county records.

The county court order allows for Middletown code enforcement to take steps to remove unapproved improvements, like the garage and expanded stamped driveway, that officials said had no chance of obtaining approval. Other illegal improvements will remain, for now, because Smith could obtain permits.

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So far, the courts have solidly sided with Middletown and Smith has racked up more than $58,000 in fines, costs and attorney fees.

He also served 14 days in Bucks County Correctional Center for contempt of court last year for violating a judge’s order that he stop making construction projects on his property without proper approvals, inspections or permits.

The contempt incarceration is what led to authorities filing eight felony and one misdemeanor charge against Smith for illegal possession of firearms and related offenses.

When he was taken into custody, Smith told a corrections officer that his 2-year-old child was home alone. Middletown police responded to the home, but instead of a toddler, they found multiple firearms in plain sight, according to the affidavit of probable cause.

His trial was schedule to start Tuesday, but it was continued to March 18.

Smith is a twice convicted felon, which bars him from possessing firearms.

Court dockets and records show Smith has a history of collecting summary and traffic and non-traffic violations in Bucks, Montgomery, Delaware and Philadelphia counties going back more than two decades.

His criminal convictions include charges of receiving stolen property, theft, disorderly conduct, aggravated assault, simple assault, retail theft and fraud

In January, he was found guilty in Bucks County Court of eight summary violations including driving an unregistered vehicle, improper display of a license plate and failure to carry a license or insurance.

He has appealed his conviction to the State Superior Court, records show.

This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Middletown razes illegal structures on 'sovereign citizen' property