WM Council passes ‘error’ filled lien list for grass-cutting

WM Council passes ‘error’ filled lien list for grass-cutting

Catt: ‘ I don’t believe the new owners should pick up the lien for property they did not own at the time’

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West Memphis City Planning and Development started off the new year trying to recoup expenses from last year. A 10-page packet carried almost 900 names and addresses with dates of lawn mowing the city had done on overgrown lots. A typical residential lot costs the city $50 to mow, with larger lots costing even more. Director of City Planning Paul Luker asked the council to approve the list in order to place liens for the uncollected lawnmowing but Councilman Tracy Catt said the report was replete with errors. He thought it was too sloppy to approve.

“There are several of those listed that have already switched ownership before we could place the liens,” said Catt. “I don’t believe the new owners should pick up the lien for property they did not own at the time. I found 14 errors just on the very first page alone.”

While standard thinking holds that most of the problems are absentee landlords the list revealed the names of many locally known landlords and property owners. The first page that caught Catt’s attention contained thirty addresses of which the councilman said almost half were listed in error. He thought the administration would do better to make another revision and bring it forward at the next city council meeting.

“We can always go back and remove it. That is what we have done in the past,” said Councilwoman Ramona

Taylor.

Catt thought the amount of exceptions would be overwhelming. Those with lien concerns often come to city council for consideration.

Others would begin to work it out at the Planning Office. Catt thought the whole experience would be better for individuals not to be bothered with an errant lien in the first place.

The ordinance governing grass cutting, fees and collection has been on the books for 28 years. The resolution presented to city council imposed liens for grass cutting, cleaning litter, debris and tree limbs.

Despite Catt’s objections, city council approved the list to be filed with the county tax collector for collection. Anything collected would go back to the city’s general fund.

The resolution passed city council, with Catt being the sole dissenter.

By John Rech