Kate Thayer, TribLocal reporter

The Schaumburg man who has lived in his front yard all summer will fight the village’s effort to clean his cluttered property, asking for a jury trial that a judge on Friday scheduled for next week.

Village officials are trying to get a court-ordered cleanup of John Wuerffel’s property in the 1400 block of Hampton Lane, which is littered with cars and garbage.

HSBC Mortgage Corp. started foreclosure proceedings against Wuerffel late last year and put a lock on the door of his house, leading Wuerffel, 62, to live outside in his van. But that lock was removed Wednesday, and Wuerffel has been seen going in and out of his home, village officials said.

Village prosecutor Elmer Mannina said he objects to Wuerffel’s request for a jury, arguing municipal law in this case might require a bench trial, and that the request came too late.

 Wuerffel’s request for a trial surprised some village officials.

“I didn’t see this coming,” said Schaumburg public health officer Mary Passaglia.

If the village wins the case, officials will clean the yard for the third time. Then they said they will try to get inside the home to clean.

Passaglia took photos inside Friday, which show piles upon piles of bottles, cans, cardboard boxes and other items filling the living area, a bathroom and all three bedrooms.

There is no electricity, gas or running water in the house, which also has roof damage. It has been cited as being uninhabitable for safety reasons, Passaglia said.

In court Friday, village officials estimated a cleanup of the house would cost at least $10,000 to $15,000.