Hopkinsville board authorizes vehicle removals, upholds default orders and dismisses several citations

The Hopkinsville Code of Ordinance Enforcement Board on May 12 approved a slate of enforcement and procedural actions: authorization to tow and abate vehicles at a residential junkyard off Greenville Road, approval to tow an abandoned vehicle at 803 West 7th, upholding multiple default final orders, and dismissing several citations where the wrong mailing address or corrected owner information made prosecution inappropriate.

Peter Wood, chief building inspector with Community Development Services, described a junkyard at a property he identified as belonging to Isaiah Grimes in an R-3 residential zone with more than a dozen disabled cars on site; the board authorized the city to abate and remove the vehicles and to work with contracted tow companies to remove disabled cars. Inspectors also presented a default-final-order package covering several properties (agenda items 8b–8e); the board voted to uphold those citations and apply administrative fees.

Separately, Jeffrey Watkins asked the board to dismiss a citation issued to Mid State Property Management because it had been issued against the wrong owner; the board granted the dismissal. Watkins also reported three citations in which mailings went to outdated addresses; two were closed because the violations were remedied and one was dismissed administratively while the city retained the right to recover abatement fees for a case already abated.

Inspectors described an abandoned 2008 Lincoln MKC at 803 West 7th with Tennessee plates and removed wheels; the board approved default orders for first and second offenses and authorized removal/towing of the vehicle after required notices and inspections.