The city of Charleston issued a one-page statement today pledging that "no more extensions" will be given to owners of property located within the city limits who have allowed their properties to become overgrown, their yards to be crowded with inoperable vehicles or their buildings to deteriorate.
"The City of Charleston Code Enforcement will be cracking down...," the statement began.
A violation, it continued, will result in a letter being sent to the property owner demanding their appearance at a court hearing, or a citation from the city's Code Enforcement Department ordering the owner to clean the property, which might include clearing brush, removing junk cars and/or demolishing dilapidated homes, among other actions.
"Under city ordinance and state law, the city can go in and cut and clean the identified property or hire a private contractor to clean the property which poses a threat to public health and safety, and bill the property owner for the work," the statement noted.
The city is especially targeting overgrown property, dilapidated homes and other buildings, and inoperable vehicles.
In addition to being eyesores, some unkempt properties and vacant houses have in the past become havens of rest and convenience for drug users and dealers. In fact, drug dealers have been known to hide illegal drugs in some of the decrepit houses.
There also are certain health risks associated with overgrown properties and decaying structures, including serving as breeding grounds for snakes and rats, which can spread disease.
Some owners of run-down properties in Charleston live elsewhere — many of them outside Tallahatchie County or even out-of -state. However, city officials in the past have noted that absent property owners are no less responsible and should hire someone to mow the grass, control the weeds and repair or tear down crumbling houses or other buildings on their land holdings here.
