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County attorney: Bedford County lacks authority to resolve neighbor RV dispute; private nuisance suit possible
Summary
During the commission's announcements, the county attorney advised that the county has no legal authority to act on an ongoing dispute over an RV and that the aggrieved homeowner could pursue a private nuisance lawsuit; state septic or sewer authorities might have options.
The Bedford County Board of Commissioners heard from the county attorney that the county currently lacks legal authority to intervene in a neighbor dispute involving an RV and alleged illegal residency.
Commissioners had read a complaint from a resident, identified in email correspondence as Kim Thomas of the Fifth District, who said construction and residency concerns involving RVs had created local problems. Commissioners asked the county attorney for a legal assessment.
The county attorney told the commission: "The county is without any authority, to do anything. We had an opportunity previously to address that issue, and it was the will of the commission not to get into that area. There is a private nuisance action, which would be an individual lawsuit by one property owner against the other." He added that he had not done a deep dive but found nothing that the county could do and suggested state agencies overseeing septic or sewer systems might have enforcement options.
Commissioners said they would "think about" next steps; no formal direction, motion, or policy change occurred at the meeting. The county attorney's remarks were framed as legal advice about available remedies rather than a directive for county action.
