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Bradley County commission to seek cost estimates, refer court-ordered cleanup at 1770 Spring Place Terrace to finance
Summary
Commissioners voted unanimously to obtain cost estimates for abating a court-declared public nuisance at 1770 Spring Place Terrace and to refer the estimates to the finance committee before deciding whether to authorize county-funded cleanup and place a lien for costs.
The Bradley County Commission voted unanimously to seek cost estimates and refer them to the finance committee for review before deciding whether to abate a court-declared public nuisance at 1770 Spring Place Terrace.
County staff member Crystal told commissioners the case came through circuit criminal court — not environmental court — and that the court found the property to be a public nuisance following an August hearing. "The order does allow us to go onto the property and clean it up," Crystal said, and "it does allow us to put a lien on the property if Mr. Ratcliffe does not pay the county's costs." She said the court set a follow-up hearing for Dec. 12 to receive the county's planned response.
Crystal said Mr. Ratcliffe is listed as an heir and currently is incarcerated in the Bradley County Jail. She noted the county’s existing resolution governing landfill-fund use (listed in the record as Resolution 02/1339) normally limits those funds to properties without identifiable heirs, which complicates typical funding rules. "It does not meet our resolution ... where there's no heirs to be found," Crystal said, while also adding that landfill funds could be used for solid-waste disposal in this case.
Commissioners questioned whether the county can recover cleanup costs if it abates the property and places a lien. Crystal said recovery is uncertain, particularly if a lien exceeds market value, and that the county has recouped full costs in only one prior case. She provided assessor figures for the two parcels: about $34,800 for the parcel with structures and $6,500 for the other parcel, while cautioning that those appraisals may overstate market value because the structures are dilapidated.
The commission's motion, as discussed in the meeting, directs staff to obtain multiple cost estimates for abatement and then have the finance committee review those estimates before the full commission takes final action. Commissioners emphasized they would first collect estimates and additional court information before committing funds. The motion passed 5–0.
The court-ordered finding, the unresolved question of collection if the county pays up front, the December 12 follow-up hearing and the location at 1770 Spring Place Terrace are expected next steps and points of information for commissioners and the finance committee.
