Roane County abandons county interest in portion of Castle Cove Road after neighbors dispute; quitclaim deeds removed

Roane County commissioners voted this month to abandon the county's right to build a county road across parts of Castle Cove Road and deleted provisions authorizing quitclaim deeds to private owners, following prolonged public comment and competing claims about who may use the lane.

The measures, which were amended on the commission floor, instruct the county to abandon its easement interest and remove the quitclaim-deed language from two draft deeds described in the resolutions. The first amended resolution, concerning property conveyed to Robert and Donna Kaczmarek, passed 12'3 after a roll-call vote. A second, similar resolution tied to Joseph Denny passed 11'4.

County Attorney remarks to the commission stressed the limited legal value of a county-issued quitclaim deed: “A quitclaim deed is just a document that says, I don't think I own this, but I'm going to record it,” the attorney said at the meeting, adding that such deeds typically do not change other owners' rights and can have the legal effect of shortening the time other owners have to file suit if a deed recipient then excludes others.

The debate followed public testimony from property owners…