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Residents describe alleged unlawful eviction and call for Huntsville Utilities oversight at council meeting
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Summary
Several residents told the council that police allowed a woman claiming eviction authority to recover property from a home without a lawful order; speakers also raised complaints about Huntsville Utilities billing errors and transparency. City staff offered to meet individually with affected residents.
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — During the second public-comment period at the April 9 City Council meeting, residents described an apparent wrongful-eviction/trespass incident that they said involved local police allowing individuals to re-enter a home and remove belongings without a lawful eviction order. Other speakers raised concerns about Huntsville Utilities billing and governance.
Mark Culbertson said he left his home while on vacation and then learned someone was inside the house. He said a woman presented police with papers and told officers she had an eviction order. Culbertson said he never received notice and that, after a court review, the judge found the matter was not properly before the court and the purported eviction was not lawful.
Howard Ross, who said he witnessed the incident, told council he called dispatch to report trespass and told officers the paperwork did not amount to an eviction order; Ross said police would not show him the order and permitted reentry. Both men asked city staff for help resolving the situation; City Administrator John Hamilton offered to speak with them in the lobby after the meeting.
Several speakers, including Dr. Angela Somerset, also criticized Huntsville Utilities, citing a case where a customer was shown a $6,000 balance that the speaker said did not belong to that resident. Somerset called for greater transparency, clearer billing conversion factors for gas metering, and oversight of the utility board and management. She said volunteers and residents had stepped in to pay an $834 bill for an affected single mother.
Mayor and staff asked the affected residents to meet with City Administrator Hamilton after the meeting to pursue resolution and follow-up. Council did not take formal action at the meeting beyond directing staff to follow up with the residents and staff conversations in the lobby.
