Saulsbury Mayor and Board pass blight ordinance

Tennessee Code Annotated (TCA) “grants municipalities the authority to make it unlawful for any property owner of record of real property to create, maintain, or permit to be maintained on such property the growth of trees, vines, grass, underbrush and/or the accumulation of debris, trash, litter, or garbage or any combination of the preceding elements so as to endanger the health, safety, or welfare of the citizens or to encourage the infestation of rats and other harmful animals.”
Grand Junction and Middleton have previously passed “property maintenance regulations” in an effort to eliminate blight within their city limits. Saulsbury’s Mayor and Board of Aldermen are now following suit. Ordinance No. 15-102 was introduced and passed its first reading at their July board meeting.
The ordinance is based on the TCA guidelines. As a first step, the board will designate an appropriate person as Code Enforcement Officer responsible for enforcing these guidelines.
Once a violation has been established, the property owner of record will be notified by registered or certified mail informing them they are in violation of the ordinance. The letter will notify the owner they have ten, or in the case of a real estate company or a utility, 20 business days to remedy the situation. The ordinance covers vacant or owner occupied property.
The letter will include information that the property may be cleaned up at the owner’s expense and a lien placed against the property to secure cost of the clean-up. A cost estimate for remedying the condition will be included as well.

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