Gallatin County court agrees to condemn and clean long‑neglected Spencer Road property after public complaints

Gallatin County’s fiscal court voted to begin a condemnation and cleanup process for a long‑running code‑enforcement case at 2020 Spencer Road after hearing public concerns and staff updates.

County staff told the court that the property’s owners had not complied with cleanup deadlines set by a court order and that family members appear unlikely to cooperate. Staff proposed condemning the property, authorizing county crews and a dumpster to remove debris, and then placing a lien or pursuing foreclosure to recover cleanup costs.

Magistrates debated the options. One magistrate warned a foreclosure could take six to nine months and noted the court would not be able to force a new owner to clean the property after a foreclosure sale. “The court isn’t going to force them to clean it up,” a county attorney observed, adding that a sale often results in a low bid and may not cover lien amounts. Several magistrates said condemnation followed by cleanup — with a county lien for costs — would at least restore neighborhood safety and property values despite uncertain recovery of funds.

An earlier motion to foreclose was withdrawn during the meeting after neighbors and several magistrates urged caution; the court then voted to proceed with condemnation and to provide funds for immediate abatement while pursuing appropriate legal remedies. Court staff said code‑enforcement fines and a budget line in the upcoming fiscal year could be applied toward costs, but that any lien would rank behind higher‑priority claims and might not be fully recoverable.

Court members asked staff to follow the code‑enforcement board process and to return with paperwork and a proposed schedule for cleanup and any needed further actions.