The Iraq war vet told 7NEWS that he's being unfairly targeted.

Johnson estimates that he's received 30 code violation notices over the last four years for violations ranging from overgrown weeds to illegally parked cars and illegal auto repair.

The city calls Johnson a chronic violator.

Aurora's chief code enforcement officer, Ron Moore, said citations and fines have had little impact on the homeowner.

Johnson is angry that he could now face jail time for failing to appear for one of the violation notices.

“I feel like I’m being treated like a hardened criminal,” he said. “Like a child molester or a bank robber. They’re really on the hunt for me.”

Johnson said code enforcement officers and police go out of their way to check up on him to see if he’s committed another infraction.

When asked why he thought that, Johnson described a phone call he had with one police officer.

“He accused me of running a chop shop, of dismantling and selling parts of stolen vehicles,” he said.

When asked if he was doing that, Johnson said, “No,” and pointed to a car in his driveway.

“I’ve owned this car since I was 15 years old. This has been a project of mine for a long time,” he said.

The disabled vet, who posted a “Don’t Tread on Me” flag in front of his house, said the city of Aurora has taken away his constitutional right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

He said the city’s codes are too onerous and that Aurora is worse than a homeowner's association.

“An HOA would actually be a breath of fresh air for me,” Johnson said, “because an HOA is not going to throw me in jail. They’re not going to take me away from my family and break up part of my home over some minute issues.”

Neighbors said Johnson is a good guy, but that sometimes he has a lot of cars parked in his driveway and along both sides of the street in front of his house.

They said Johnson is always willing to move the cars if they need the space.

Others said they occasionally hear Johnson racing car engines after he’s repaired them.

Johnson, who was injured in a parachute accident, said he tinkers with cars to keep occupied.

“I can’t work because of my disability,” he said. “This keeps me busy. It’s something that I enjoy doing.”

The vet said he fixes cars for his friends and some of his neighbors.

“There are some neighbors who can’t stand it, evidently. They call and complain about too many cars or maybe a car that doesn’t have a license plate on it,” he said.

Johnson said it’s time to change Aurora’s residential codes.

“I’ve fought for the freedom of other countries,” the vet said. “And now, I can’t even be free in my own country, in my own yard, on my own property, without being harassed.”

Moore said the codes exist to keep neighborhoods from deteriorating.

“I’d be the first to thank him for serving our country,” Moore said. “But he still needs to be a good neighbor.”