County cleans Dixie Hills hoarder’s yard

On Monday, October 5, Hardeman County workers were finally able to clean up the yard of Mary Cole, at 95 Dixie Hills Road in Bolivar after more than two years of communications and legal hearings.
Residents began complaining about the property in 2013, saying Cole was hoarding garbage on her lawn, the property smelled, and was infested with rodents and insects.
Hardeman County Mayor Jimmy Sain said the county sent its first letter to Cole on April 23, 2013, but nothing was done. Finally, on June 22 of this year, county workers arrived with heavy equipment to clean the yard, but were chased off by Cole.
On August, 12, 2015, Cole appeared at a hearing before Sain, who ruled she must clean the property or the county would do it for her and bill the cost to her taxes. Cole had 30 days after the official ruling to appeal to the Hardeman County Chancery Court. After all the county’s legal options were fulfilled, the county was finally able to clean the property.
“We used two dump trucks, two loaders and six workers to clean the yard up,” Sain said. “It took close to eight hours to finish the work, and she was billed $800.”  
The mayor went on to say, “I really sympathize with the lady. She has a problem with collecting things and we are trying to help her in any way possible.”
Attempts to reach Cole were unsuccessful.
Sain said there are currently five other properties that need to be cleaned up and the county is in the legal process of doing so now. Three property owners are complying, and two others are not responding in a timely manner.