LAKEWOOD, Ohio – Police jailed a Lakewood auto repair shop owner following citations for repeated violations of the city parking laws.

Charles Calanni pleaded guilty Monday to multiple violations of Lakewood building codes, many involving when and where cars can be parked in a business parking lot. He has a long history of such violations, according to court records.

"This has been going on since I started working for Lakewood (in 2008)," Lakewood City Prosecutor Pam Roessner said.

Owners of businesses surrounding Calanni Auto Services on Madison Avenue say the problems dates back almost a decade. When Calanni was ordered to remove cars from his parking lot after hours, he started parking them the street, neighboring business owners said.

Lakewood even sued Calanni in 2005 for his parking practices.

Calanni's first criminal citation came in May 2007 and he was eventually fined $100 for violating Lakewood building codes, according to court records. The fine was eventually suspended when the building department later determined he was in full compliance with the law.

The building department took Calanni to court dozens of times since then, court records show. He has multiple fines, several of which he has appealed.

Lakewood denied his 2012 request to restructure his parking lot.

Calanni will remain in jail until his sentencing hearing on Monday due to his history of violations, court documents said.

Walton Hills attorney George Sapir, who represents Calanni, said in the most recent case, his client is accused of small violations.

"Someone dumped tires on his lot and he didn't get them disposed of fast enough," Sapir said. "Some people left their cars in his lot when he wasn't there, and in Lakewood, you can't leave a car in front of your garage after your business is closed."

Calanni was also cited with having a car with expired plates in his lot. Sapir said the plates expired before mechanics could fix the vehicle.

Calanni was charged with 24 violations, but Sapir worked out a plea deal with Roessner. All but three of the violations were dismissed.

"It's very difficult to win these cases," Sapir said. "They're called unclassified misdemeanors and you're not allowed to get a jury."

Employees of Calanni Auto Services working Wednesday declined to comment.

A lot behind a business building across the street from Calanni Auto Services remains filled with older model cars, many of which have flat tires, peeling paint and no license plates.

Business owners in the surrounding buildings said the vehicles come from Calanni's auto shop.

The repair shop's parking lot appeared filled to capacity Wednesday afternoon, but was empty at 10 p.m. after the business closed for the day.

Some business owners in surrounding stores said they are hesitant to file complaints against Calanni because he owns the building in which they work.

David Slife, owner of Slife Heating and Cooling on Madison Avenue, said he's clashed with Calanni in the past over parking and other issues.

"Now I just avoid him," he said. "I probably haven't talked to him in a year."

Slife and other business owners said Calanni continued to park customers' cars on the street even after the building department ordered him not to.

Sapir, however, said a Lakewood building inspector testified during a recent court hearing that Calanni was making progress in complying with city laws.

A representative of the Lakewood building department did not immediately return a voicemail seeking comment Thursday.

Calanni was convicted multiple times for violating Lakewood building rules, mostly dealing with parking, and has appealed several of those convictions, according to records in Ohio's Eighth District Court of Appeals.

The appeals court upheld his conviction each time with one small exception.

He argued in 2012 that Lakewood Municipal Court erred in fining him for each of 10 building code violations he pleaded guilty to, and that the court should not have confiscated his driver's license.

The appellate court upheld the fines, but ruled that Lakewood shouldn't have taken his license.