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Resident asks Houston County to hold special meeting on Moneycreek alley vacation
Summary
A Moneycreek resident told the Houston County Board she and neighboring property owners want a special meeting and legal review before the county completes vacation of the final 10 feet of a 20-foot alley they say was partially vacated decades ago and has been treated as private property for more than 48 years.
Robin Danielson, a Moneycreek resident, asked the Houston County Board of Commissioners to schedule a special meeting with the county attorney and staff to review the proposed vacation of a 10-foot portion of a 20-foot alley and to ensure the process is handled correctly.
Danielson told the board she and other property owners, including her husband and Brian Forsyth, have paid taxes on the parcels abutting the alley for more than 48 years and that earlier county records show the north half of the alley had been vacated and conveyed decades ago. She said township records were lost in a fire and the township attorney told them he would not try to trace the missing records, prompting her request for the county to examine the title and filing history before the vacation is finalized. "We would like to request the board or the board's attorney to come to a special meeting on this Thursday at 5 p.m. in Moneycreek, regarding the vacation of an alley," Danielson said in public comment.
Why this matters: Danielson warned that if the county treats the current proceeding as a new vacation rather than recognizing the earlier partial vacation and conveyance recorded with the auditor, property owners could face retroactive tax liability or penalties, or the county could incur costs to resolve title questions. She said the failure to file a notice in the prior proceeding "does not invalidate the vacation proceedings, per the ordinance," and asked the board to confirm that the earlier conveyance remains effective.
Board response and next steps: A county board member (no name supplied on the transcript) told Danielson to "make it a point to show up for that" if a special meeting is scheduled. The board did not make a formal decision during the meeting to schedule a special meeting; no motion or vote on the alley vacation was recorded in the transcript. Danielson said she had documentary evidence (deeds, a recorded conveyance, photographs of a retaining wall and planted landmarks) but was short on copies for the board.
Outlook: Danielson asked the board to instruct the county attorney to review the earlier conveyance and to verify whether the township's loss of records alters legal title or the county's obligations. The transcript contains no follow-up assignment, formal direction to staff, or a board vote on scheduling the requested special meeting.
Ending: The board moved on without taking formal action on Danielson's request; Danielson and other neighbors may seek to return at a future meeting if the board schedules further review or if the county attorney provides clarifying guidance.
