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Council moves to recover trailer‑park lot‑clearing costs through judgment and penalties
Summary
An alderman told the Brookhaven City Council on Oct. 1 the city will begin assessing lot‑clearing costs for trailer‑park parcels as a judgment (minimum $1,500 or half the actual cost), with a 30‑day notice and the ability to collect via delinquent‑tax sale if unpaid.
A council member outlined a plan to recoup costs for clearing lots in a local trailer park by recording assessments as judgments if property owners do not pay within 30 days. The council was told the assessment would be a minimum of $1,500 or half of the actual cost, whichever is greater, and that the council will vote on each charge after staff reports the exact cost.
Under the described procedure, the city would send notice to property owners, assess the penalty when owners fail to pay within the 30‑day window, and record the assessment so it could be collected in a manner similar to delinquent taxes, including potential sale at the courthouse if unpaid. Staff said most city‑owned small parcels are not marketable because of size and zoning, and estimated about 67 city parcels overall with only about 8–10 available for development.
Council members discussed the legal form of collection and how assessing costs as a judgment differs from handling delinquent taxes; the chair and staff said they would proceed with the process once costs are verified and specific votes are taken for each property.
