Commission refers estimates for remediation of court-declared nuisance property at 1770 Spring Place Terrace SE to Finance Committee

The Bradley County Commission moved Dec. 15 to obtain contractor estimates to remediate the property at 1770 Spring Place Terrace SE and to refer those estimates and funding options to the Finance Committee.

The action follows a Nov. 18, 2025 Criminal Court order that found the property a continuing public nuisance, authorized Bradley County to abate the nuisance by removing debris and structures, and permitted the county to place a lien on the property for cleanup costs if the responsible party failed to pay. The order also noted that the assessed owners are Paul E. Ratcliff and Stacy L. Ratcliff (deceased), and that the respondent, Walter Ratcliff, had failed to abate the nuisance as of the October hearing dates. The court set a final hearing in the matter for Dec. 12, 2025 as noted in the order.

Commissioners discussed the authority to use landfill or other county funds and were told by County Attorney Crystal Freiberg that while landfill funds could apply, the property does not fit the existing resolution governing landfill-use parameters; Freiberg also flagged the risk that cleanup costs could exceed the property's assessed combined value ($41,300) and that recovering the full cost through a lien might not be guaranteed.

Commissioner Denny Collins moved to obtain remediation cost estimates and to refer the matter to Finance; the motion carried unanimously. The Finance Committee is expected to collect bids/estimates and return with funding recommendations.