09/23/2026
As this conversation continues in our community, we also want to highlight an important gap in local homelessness services.
TLC is an emergency shelter for women and children, so we are not able to provide shelter to men. Currently, the closest emergency shelter resources for men are approximately 30 minutes away in another county. Our Board of Directors has been discussing this gap and exploring what opportunities may exist to expand shelter options for men in our community.
While TLC is not equipped to provide street outreach in situations like the one described here, we have brought this concern to the attention of local organizations that do provide street outreach and homelessness services.
We cannot speak to the circumstances of the individuals or vehicles referenced in this post, but we hope this conversation can be an opportunity to look at both community safety and the availability of appropriate resources for people experiencing homelessness in Seneca County.
TIFFIN RESIDENT RAISES SAFETY CONCERNS OVER VEHICLES AT FORMER BIG LOTS
A Tiffin woman told City Council Monday night that a disturbing encounter in the former Big Lots parking lot left her concerned about people apparently staying there for extended periods. The same two white vans she referenced were still at the property Tuesday.
Tiffin resident Kelly Digby told council that she and her husband regularly walk their dogs through the former Big Lots property at 644 W. Market St.
Digby said that Monday morning they were walking past a Dodge Durango in the parking lot when a man opened the door and asked whether they walked there every day.
Digby said she told him they did.
According to Digby, the man then told them it was good for people to know where they were “in case you disappear.”
She said he followed that by referencing missing people on milk cartons and saying those people are never found.
Digby told council she and her husband went home concerned and later contacted their council representative, who encouraged them to call police.
They did, and Digby said Tiffin Police responded and she filed a police report.
But Digby said the concern did not begin with that encounter.
She told council that she and her husband began walking through the former Big Lots property in the spring. By summer, they started noticing the same vans repeatedly parked in the lot, including during the early-morning hours.
Digby also stressed that her comments were not coming from a lack of compassion for people going through difficult circumstances. She told council that she and her husband work at the Tiffin Pantry and regularly help provide food to people in need.
Her concern, she said, is being able to feel safe in her own neighborhood.
SKYVIEW MEDIA FINDS THE VANS STILL THERE
SkyView Media watched Digby’s comments during Monday night’s council meeting and followed up at the property Tuesday.
At approximately 4:20 a.m. Tuesday, SkyView Media observed two white vans parked at the former Big Lots property. These are the same vans Digby was referring to during her comments to council.
Both vans were still parked there Tuesday afternoon, and a folding lawn chair could also be seen beside one of the vehicles.
The extended presence of the vans does not by itself establish that anyone is homeless or permanently living in the vehicles. It does, however, document that the same vehicles discussed at council remained at the property from before dawn into the afternoon.
WHO OWNS AND MANAGES THE PROPERTY?
Property records previously reviewed by SkyView Media identify the owner of the former Big Lots property as 644 Market Street Tiffin OH, LLC. The company also appears in records from the Big Lots bankruptcy proceedings.
There is also a local manager connected to the property.
On March 29, Dale Depew of Seneca News Daily posted about the clearing of the former Big Lots building and wrote:
“I think most of you who have been around for a while know that I am the manager of the Tiffin Mall. You might not know that I also manage the old Big Lots property.”
That becomes important because much of the discussion Monday night centered on the fact that this is private property.
Digby told council that police explained their ability to act was limited because the people were on private property and there had not been a complaint from the property owner.
City Administrator Nick Dutro later told council he had already spoken with the police chief about the situation.
Dutro explained that if people have permission to be on private property, the city generally cannot simply order them to leave. If the owner considers someone to be trespassing, however, police can address the situation differently.
Dutro also said officers had spoken with individuals at the property, instructed them to leave and provided information about programs and organizations that could potentially help them.
Yet the two white vans Digby referenced were back — or remained — at the property Tuesday.
That leaves a key unanswered question:
Do the people associated with the vans have permission from property management to remain there, or are they considered trespassers?
SkyView Media will be seeking an answer to that question.
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CITY COUNCIL DISCUSSES WHAT CAN BE DONE
Digby asked council to consider whether Tiffin’s ordinances should be strengthened to address situations like this.
She repeatedly told council that residents should be able to feel safe walking through their neighborhoods.
Dutro said the city has dealt with unhoused individuals staying in city parks during the past year. Those cases are different because parks are public property and Tiffin already prohibits camping there.
Council members also discussed whether additional regulations could be explored for camping or similar activity on private property, with city officials indicating that the law director would need to examine what the city legally could do.
This story is not about assuming every person staying in a vehicle is dangerous or labeling the occupants of these vans without knowing their circumstances.
It is about making the community aware of what a resident brought directly to City Council, the encounter that prompted a police report, and the continued presence of the vehicles at the property the following day.
SkyView Media will continue following the situation and seeking answers from property management and city officials.
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