Sheriff’s office sets historical precedent
Robbinsville – Repeated trips to a property off Five Points Road led Graham County Sheriff Brad Hoxit to try an alternate method in the ongoing war against rampant drug use in the area.
A March 14 court order issued by Superior Court Judge Bill Coward affirmed a Nuisance Abatement action be levied against the owners of 349 Five Points Road, which sits directly next to another location that has been subjected to frequent visits for suspicious activity by the sheriff’s office – the River Breeze Trailer Park.
“This address has been a problem for years, causing the Town of Robbinsville to live in fear, and constantly draining emergency services and law-enforcement resources,” Hoxit said in a March 16 press release. “This remedy is a result of an outstanding investigation between the Graham County Sheriff’s Office, residents in the community and members of the N.C. ALE Nuisance Abatement Team.”
Hoxit – who has worked in law enforcement around Graham County in some capacity since 1996 – told The Graham Star on March 16 that he does know of another nuisance abatement being issued in the history of the county.
“I think this is one of the biggest things to ever happen here,” Hoxit propositioned.
Abatement?
Defined as “the ending, reduction, or lessening of something,” enacting a nuisance abatement is nothing new to state officials – but it is certainly a novel concept in the region.
The legal procedure is protected by N.C. G.S. 19, which breaks down the parameters of what constitutes a “nuisance.” In short, the abatement can be applied to any location that could be significant harm to the surrounding area.
The Graham County Sheriff’s Office did not release just how many calls had been made to 349 Five Points Road, but some good could emerge from the legalities: the property qualified to be forfeited to the state, with funds from a future sale going directly to the Graham County Board of Education.
Also included in the order are:
* Future nuisance-related activities on the property are prohibited;
* No one can trespass onto the property. The sheriff’s office now has a sign up on the property to the same effect;
* The current occupants of the property are forbidden from causing other nuisance-related operations anywhere else;
* Those currently residing on the property have until May 15 to vacate the premises altogether;
* No one can be on the property for longer than two hours a day.
“I appreciate the cooperation from this family as we worked to solve this problem and reach a successful resolution for all parties involved,” Hoxit’s remarks in the press release continued. “I also commend the citizens of this community for partnering with law enforcement to ensure the community returns to a peaceful life.”