Owner disputes retaining-wall complaint; Putnam County dismisses case after property cleaned

Putnam County commissioners dismissed a dilapidated-and-abandoned enforcement case for property located at 67 Stewart Circle in Hurricane after a public hearing in which the landowner said the cleanup had been completed and argued the retaining-wall issue was a civil matter.

County staff said the complaint, filed Aug. 12 and forwarded under state code, cited debris and a compromised retaining wall. The landowner, Jeremy Taylor, spoke at the hearing and said the yard debris and high grass identified in the anonymous complaint had been removed after he received notice, including photographs submitted to county staff. Taylor said he had owned the property about 15 years and that the wall had been in its current condition for years; he said he was reluctant to remove the wall or disturb trees and shrubs without a survey or engineering review.

County staff told the commission the photographs and site visit showed the property was in compliance with the county's ordinance with respect to the debris and high grass, though staff had forwarded the retaining-wall concern because of potential hazard to an adjacent property and to ask whether further action beyond inspection was required. Commissioners discussed whether the wall was an enforcement matter or a private/civil issue between neighbors and noted an engineer's assessment would be needed to declare imminent danger.

After discussion, a motion to dismiss case 2025-08 as presented carried. The county clerk will prepare an order of dismissal. Commissioners and staff emphasized that the cleanup items identified in the original complaint had been addressed and that the retaining-wall dispute would be a civil matter to be resolved by the property owners or through a separate engineering/legal process if safety risk is documented.

No fines or enforcement action were imposed at the meeting.