A Georgia man is suing Macon-Bibb County after his home was allegedly demolished without notice, 13 WMAZ reports.
During a press conference, Eric Arnold announced last week that he was taking the county to court over the demolition of his property. Arnold said he was fixing up the home for his family to live in one day.
"When I think about it, I tear up because I knew what I had planned for this property," Arnold said.
Arnold's property is among hundreds of homes that Macon-Bibb County has demolished over the past several years in its fight against blight. Homes labeled as "blight" by the county are usually vacant, unkept, or seen as a nuisance.
Arnold bought his home in February 2022. He said he found out about the county's plans for demolition when they put a dumpster on the property. According to county tax records, the homeowner filed an interior renovation permit with the intent to rehab the house on November 14, 2023.
Arnold said he tried speaking with county officials to stop them from demolishing the home. However, Arnold said the demolition occurred on November 15, 2023.
The man said he paid taxes on his home and got the permits needed before the county tore it down.
"I did everything I was supposed to do,” Arnold said. “I thought I was ok. I wasn't ok. They still knocked my house down."
Arnold and his legal team are seeking reimbursement for the value of the home and the renovation materials stored there. County tax records state Arnold bought the home for $15,000.
The homeowner's lawyer said they also want answers from the county about why they are demolishing so many properties.
"Eric's lawsuit isn't about just one man's house. It's about protecting the constitutional rights of all property owners in Macon-Bibb County," the lawyer said.
The county and code enforcement officials released the following statement about the issue.
“We have not yet been served any lawsuit regarding this property so cannot comment on the specifics. However, we are aware of the demolition on Sunnyvale Drive. A letter designating it as a Nuisance Per Se and blighted and that it would be torn down if not repaired was provided several years ago, as well as notice posted on the property. The letter is not legally required for this process, but we provide it as a form of notice and allow the property owner the option to fix their property. The property was sold in February 2022 (after it was deemed blighted), and Code Enforcement provided the new homeowner nearly 20 months to pull any construction permits or fix it up. No permits were pulled, and we were not made aware of any improvements made before the demolition permit was pulled in August 2023. There were still several months between that and when demolition of the blighted structure occurred.”
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