JONES COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
Four homes that were demolished last week signaled the completion of a code violation project that started before the pandemic and included 22 homes with housing code violations.
Three homes were taken down and property cleared on William Court and one on New Clinton Road. Jones County Code Enforcement Officer Tiffany Davis said the demolition started Aug. 23 and was completed Aug. 25.
In an Aug. 29 interview, Davis said work began on the 22 homes in 2019, and cases were being prepared to take to court when the court system was closed due to the pandemic.
The officer said she continued to work on the cases, and by the time the court system reopened, only six of the cases remained unresolved. She said one of those was taken down by the owner, and another has received a permit to rehab the property.
The demolition of the remaining four signaled closing out the 22 cases and starting on a new batch. Davis said she is now preparing six more properties to take to court. The code violations are handled in Magistrate Court.
She said the best resolution to a code violation case is for the owner to rehabilitate the home.
“We don’t want to spend county money on demolitions,” she said.
The estimated cost of the demolition of those properties is $12,000. The county sends the property owner an invoice for the cost of the demolition, which if not paid becomes a lien on the property.
The process begins with a complaint, and Davis is the first to take a look at the property. An inspector from the Planning and Zoning Office then goes to the property to evaluate and document the complaints.
After the complaints are verified, Davis said the first notice is sent to the property owner, who is given 45 days to contact the office and begin repairs. The road to demolition of the property is a lengthy one designed with the purpose of allowing the owner to bring the property into compliance when possible.
Davis said, so long as the owner is working to repair the issues, she tries to work with them, even though that means many return visits to the property. Taking the owner to court and demolition of the property is the last option.
Her office has processed an estimated 300 cases since she began in her position in 2002, with 20 properties taken down by the county. That is an impressive 92 percent success rate.
She said some complaints are received on the county’s iWorks smartphone app and some through the form on the jonescountyga.org website.
“But most of the complaints are still made with a phone call,” she added.
Davis’ responsibilities do not stop with housing code violations. Her one-person department also handles complaints about littering/open dumping, junk cars, illegal burns, unauthorized signs, logging operations and timber harvesting, enforcement at convenience centers, permitting for fuel tanks and systems, oversight of inert material grinding operations, EPD permitting and routine inspections, maintenance, review and submission of all ground water and methane testing reports to the EPD.
The officer assists Keep Jones Beautiful and is responsible for environmental education.
Davis is a member of the Middle Georgia Clean Air Coalition and a member of the coalition’s advisory team. To contact the Code Enforcement Office, call 478-986-6084.
