Residents press county over ‘Incredible Tiny Homes’; county attorney says draft letter and enforcement review underway

Multiple residents and lot owners raised allegations about contract fraud, stop‑work orders and noncompliance by a company identified as Incredible Tiny Homes / Incredible Properties LLC during public comment at the Cocke County Commission meeting.

Michael Ridgeway, who said he has been involved in court cases with the company and runs a Facebook group for affected residents, described repeated instances he said involved “inauthentic documents” and asserted the company had sought “key money” deposits of about $30,000–$40,000 from successive buyers. Ridgeway told the commission he expects another court date and asked the county to review the company’s conduct.

An earlier public commenter (identified at the meeting as a resident who has addressed the planning commission before) said the county had issued a stop‑work order for lots on a mountain property and that the developer had been told to comply with subdivision and PUD conditions. That commenter described multiple court cases and alleged residents had been subjected to reverse legal fees and other sanctions in prior proceedings.

County Attorney (presenting to the commission) said the office has been “fact gathering” for more than a year, has reviewed past correspondence among the parties and local officials, and is drafting a letter that will address the situation. “I have a letter that’s in draft form that is still making its way through our… government,” the attorney said; he said the letter would be a public document when finalized and that it will involve zoning and whether subdivision regulations apply.

The county attorney described the legal authority available to the county, citing Tennessee law that allows officials to seek injunctive relief against buildings erected without required subdivision approvals. “Any building erected on property that hasn't gone through our process and received planning commission approval… is an unlawful structure and the state building commission or the county attorney or other official designated by the county legislative body may institute a civil action to enjoin such erection or call it to be vacated or removed,” he said.

Commissioners urged more active enforcement where rules had been broken. Commissioners and the county attorney discussed using stop‑work orders and, if necessary, civil litigation to enjoin noncompliant construction.

Why it matters: residents described potential consumer‑protection and zoning compliance issues that the county may need to enforce through administrative stop‑work orders, planning commission action or civil litigation. The county attorney said staff has been collecting records and will circulate a formal letter addressing the regulatory and compliance questions.

Speakers

- Michael Ridgeway — resident / lot owner (public commenter). Described court cases, alleged submission of inauthentic documents by the developer, reverse attorney‑fee clauses in contracts, and “key money” deposits for lots.

- Unnamed resident/commenter (appeared before the planning commission previously) — public commenter. Reported a stop‑work order on Lot 91 and alleged a larger pattern of noncompliance and contract disputes with Incredible Tiny Homes/Properties LLC.

- County Attorney (unnamed in transcript) — county legal officer. Reported a draft letter in preparation and reviewed enforcement options including injunctions under Tennessee law.

Authorities referenced

- Cocke County Subdivision Regulations — cited in the discussion of required approvals and the stop‑work order (type: policy).

- Tennessee Code — referenced by the county attorney as the statutory basis for civil enforcement to enjoin unlawful structures (type: statute). Specific code section not named in the transcript.

Discussion vs. decision

- Discussion: multiple residents described contract disputes, court cases and alleged noncompliance with subdivision and planning conditions; commissioners and the county attorney discussed enforcement mechanisms.

- Direction: the county attorney reported he is preparing a draft letter and said it will be circulated; commissioners urged prompt enforcement where rules are being violated.

- Decision: no formal vote to initiate litigation or to change code was recorded at the meeting; the county attorney’s letter and any enforcement action will be pursued administratively and brought back to the appropriate bodies as required.

Clarifying details

- Stop‑work order: commenters said a stop‑work order is in effect for Lot 91; county attorney said the office has been fact‑gathering (status: stop‑work order exists; details of scope not specified).

- Court cases: Michael Ridgeway said multiple general‑sessions cases are pending, including matters alleged to involve forged or inauthentic lease documents and disputed reverse attorney‑fee clauses (dates and case numbers not specified).

- Alleged deposits: Ridgeway said deposit or “key money” amounts cited by residents are roughly $30,000 for valley lots and $40,000 for mountain lots (amounts reported by commenter; legality/contract language not independently verified).

Proper names

[{"name":"Incredible Tiny Homes","type":"organization"},{"name":"Incredible Properties LLC","type":"organization"},{"name":"Lot 91","type":"other"},{"name":"Cocke County Planning Commission","type":"agency"},{"name":"Ashley Shelton","type":"person"}]

Searchable tags

["tiny homes","Incredible Tiny Homes","contract dispute","stop‑work order","subdivision regulations","Tennessee Code","Cocke County"]