A quiet Liberty Township cul-de-sac turned tense when gunfire broke out outside a short-term rental during a weekend party, leaving neighbors rattled even though no one was hurt. Now township trustees are hauling the property’s owners into court, targeting multiple homes tied to the same operator and asking a judge to clamp down on weekend and other short stays by labeling the operation a public nuisance. Officials say the lawsuit is their bid to stop late-night parties that residents argue have become a real safety concern.
Township Files Suit Seeking Injunction And Fines
According to FOX19, trustees filed a complaint in Butler County Common Pleas Court on Wednesday against the owners of 4817 Granada Court. The petition asks a judge to ban rentals shorter than 30 days, shut down the properties as short-term units, and declare the operation a public nuisance. Township leaders say they want the court to give them both fines and an injunction so they can keep the houses out of the weekend-rental business.
What Happened At The Party
On May 2, deputies were called to one of two short-term rentals on Granada Court after reports of gunfire at a party. Investigators found shell casings and a bullet lodged in an interior wall, and while no injuries were reported, neighbors told township officials the gathering had spun out of control. That episode pushed residents to demand legal action from trustees. As reported by WKRC Local 12, the township’s lawsuit seeks daily fines of up to $500 for every day the owners violate zoning rules. VRBO was not named in the complaint, Local 12 noted.
Who’s Behind The Rentals
The lawsuit names companies tied to Plum Tree Rentals, and county land records reviewed by FOX19 show the properties were moved under land contracts in 2024 to an entity listing Jason Ross as a member. Plum Tree’s website identifies Jason Ross as the company’s founder and promotes a portfolio of furnished corporate and short-term units across Butler County and the broader region. Ross did not comment to station reporters when contacted about the shooting or the lawsuit.
Local Debate Over Short-Term Rentals
Communities across Butler County have been wrestling with how to handle short-term rentals. West Chester Township, for example, approved a ban on short stays in single-family zones in April 2025, according to the Journal-News. The county has seen a sharp rise in listings, and critics often blame one-night bookings for neighborhood disputes that flare up overnight and linger long after checkout. That policy backdrop helps explain why Liberty Township trustees headed to court after neighbors said the Granada Courthouse kept operating despite earlier warnings.
Legal Angle
The case is a civil enforcement move. If a judge grants the requested injunction, the township could block short-term bookings at the properties and impose daily fines for continued violations. The $500-per-day penalty the township is seeking is meant to serve as leverage to stop what trustees describe as a recurring pattern of dangerous, party-style rentals. The complaint does not accuse the property owners of criminal wrongdoing; any criminal investigation into the gunfire itself is being handled separately by law enforcement, Local 12 reports.
What’s Next
Township officials say they plan to push the civil case forward while detectives review video and work to identify suspects, leaving residents waiting on both a court ruling and the outcome of the investigation. If the judge sides with the township, the owner group could be barred from listing weekend stays and could face steep daily fines while the lawsuit is in play. Neighbors say the filing is the kind of action they had been asking for after repeated complaints, although for now the properties remain active on rental platforms while the case moves through the courts. Local leaders say the dispute will serve as a test of how quickly municipalities can use zoning law to rein in party-style short-term rentals.
