Central council orders condemnation processes for two Lovett Road properties, gives owners time to act

The City Council of Central on Tuesday opened public hearings and took action on condemnation proceedings for two dilapidated, fire-damaged structures on Lovett Road.

The first case, 11112 Lovett Road, concerns a structure the city’s building inspector described as severely compromised by fire and structural collapse. The property owner, identified in the hearing as Mary Bonds, addressed the council and said she still had personal belongings inside the home and described difficulty retrieving them because of break-ins and safety concerns. City staff presented a history of inspections and enforcement dating to early 2023, including an administrative order requiring remediation that staff said had not been complied with.

Council members discussed options including allowing the owner time to secure a contractor, permitting an accessory storage structure to retrieve belongings, or proceeding with condemnation and demolition. Council member Laverne proposed and the council approved a motion to provide a short window for the owner to return with a concrete plan; the roll-call vote recorded on the record was Riley: yes; Duverne: no; Lazaro: yes; McKinney: yes; Meyer: yes; Roy: yes; Wells: no. The council instructed staff to reduce the motion to writing and to include appeal information with the order.

The second case, 12287 Lovett Road, involved an absentee ownership issue. City staff and a curator appointed by the mayor, Steven Whitlow of Whitlow Law Firm, reported unsuccessful attempts to locate primary heirs John Claude Nettles and Cynthia Lane Nettles and said notices sent to last-known addresses were returned undeliverable. The transcript indicates Richard O’Quinn purchased a tax certificate for the property at a sheriff’s sale; Whitlow said the tax-sale purchaser’s title is not final until the statutory redemption period elapses.

City attorney Kyle Selestine summarized the condemnation process under local code, citing “Title 12, Chapter 8, Section 12:520 through 527” (as described in the hearing) as the city’s authority to condemn unsafe structures and to order demolition after due process. Council members heard photos and inspector findings, including testimony that an inspector could not safely enter the residence because of collapsed roof and unstable walls.

After hearing evidence and public discussion, the council voted to enter an order of condemnation for 12287 Lovett Road that provides 90 days for interested parties to demolish the structure or to present a plan; if the work is not completed within the period the city will step in and may assess its costs as a lien against the property. The motion passed on roll call with the following votes as recorded: Preylet: yes; Laverne: yes; Lazaro: yes; McKinney: yes; Meyer: yes; McCoy: no; Wells: yes.

City attorney Selestine told the council that a municipal demolition order and any resulting lien is appealable under the municipal code and that liens for demolition costs, if recorded as required, would attach to the property and be collectible from any party who later acquires title. Steven Whitlow confirmed notices and a legal advertising step were completed for the absentee-owner property and recommended that the council accept the curator’s note of evidence, which the council did.

Why it matters: staff said both structures are unsafe and pose a public-safety risk. The actions set deadlines and preserve the city’s ability to carry out demolition if property owners do not remedy the violations within the specified timelines. Council members also discussed options for assisting owners with removal of personal property and advised the owner in the first case to obtain required demolition or accessory-structure permits if she intends to remove belongings or place a temporary storage unit on site.

The council asked staff to circulate the written orders, the municipal appeals procedure, and permit contacts for salvage or demolition work following the hearings.

Votes at a glance: - 11112 Lovett Road (owner: Mary Bonds) — council approved a motion to allow a short deferral (two weeks) for the owner to return with a demolition or remediation plan; recorded vote: Riley (yes), Duverne (no), Lazaro (yes), McKinney (yes), Meyer (yes), Roy (yes), Wells (no). Motion carried. - 12287 Lovett Road (record owners: John Claude Nettles and Cynthia Lane Nettles; tax certificate buyer: Richard O’Quinn) — council entered an order of condemnation providing 90 days for interested parties to act; motion passed with recorded votes as noted above.

The council’s written orders and appeal instructions will be distributed to the parties and filed in the municipal record.