Tracking down owner of forgotten excavator

FLINT, Mich.  (WJRT) - A big machine mystery is underway on Ossington Street on Flint's South side.

An excavator has been sitting on a lot, next to a house, for weeks and months on end.

"At least once a week I'll drive by and someone will be sitting in it," said Beth Milde.

"There have been other people, not so good people in the neighborhood hanging around it,"  Crystal Fairchild told ABC 12.

So, where did it come from?  ABC 12 did some digging and learned the house that used to sit on the lot burned down.  It was torn down and the lot cleared, but the big equipment stayed.  

Without a serial number to track down, ABC 12 reached out to City Hall to check demolition permits and discovered the job was handled by Rico Contracting.

ABC 12 contacted Rico Contracting.  The owner, Reginald Bradford, tells ABC he had permission to leave the equipment on the lot after needed equipment to move the excavator broke down.  Reginald apologized to neighbors, and promised to move it Monday.  Rico Contracting is a small, minority owned business doing work in Flint.