TOP PHOTO: The first board was put in place just before 11:30am Wednesday as Mike Satkowski, Stan Foust, Matthew Forsyth and Wayne Kitts (left to right) watch public works crews board up this house.

Public Works Director for the City of La Follette Casey Boshears finishes securing this window.

LAFOLLETTE, TN (WLAF) – “Today’s actions stand as a clear warning to anyone who has an abandoned house in La Follette,” said Stan Foust, La Follette City Administrator. Foust goes on to say “we’ve dealt with it long enough.”

This abandoned house sits at the corner of North 13th and West Forrest Streets.

Foust is referencing houses that are left unoccupied like the one the City boarded up on Wednesday morning at 311 North 13th Street. “This house has been a problem for years, and today we responded to the complaints with these actions,” said Foust.

Members of the City of La Follette Public Works Department boarded up this house on Wednesday morning.

“Anyone caught on condemned property will be arrested for trespassing. We arrested two people from this house for trespassing and possession of drug paraphernalia,” said La Follette Chief of Police Steve Wallen.

Since the Wednesday morning visit by La Follette Codes and Police, Pubic Works personnel boarded up this house and mowed the once high grass.

The two people were living in the house without electricity. “There was no water and sewer serviced turned on either,” said Wallen.

This notice was posted Wednesday afternoon.

The yard was mowed by a public works employee on Wednesday afternoon, and a code enforcement notice was posted on the boarded up front door.

All costs to clean up abandoned property and houses will be billed back to the owner, according to Foust. “This is all a part of our safer neighborhoods program,” said Foust. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED – 05/04/2023-6AM)

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