TPD, Code Enforcement work to clean up Stephens Drive, Stephens Extension

The Toccoa Police Department has released information regarding four bar notices being served to people trespassing behind the old Social Security Building and Tractor Supply.

According to Toccoa Police Chief Jimmy Mize, during the month of November, the Police Department and Code Enforcement reached out to the owners of the property, in an effort, to clean up the areas of Stephens Drive and Stephens Extension.

Mize says they let the owners know the condition the property was in and requested a letter from them allowing Code Enforcement to trespass persons on the property.

On November 24, a total of four people were served bar notices and instructed to vacate the property.

Officers kept the property under surveillance and one of the barred individuals returned.

She was cited and given a court date.

Mize says the debris, trash, wood, and some tarps remained on the property.

Once again, the Code Enforcement Officer reached out to the property owners about cleaning up the property.

Mize spoke with Stephens County Sheriff Randy Shirley about using the inmate work crew for some assistance and a start date was set for December 27.

Mize says the inmate crew worked hard on Monday and cleaned up quite a bit.

Tuesday, Mize reached out to Director Harry Scott with the City Gas and Water Department for some assistance with heavy machinery.

Between the City crews and inmates, 5 dump truck loads were taken off the property.

With rain setting in, work was done for the day with little left to finish as weather permits.

In another area of Stephens Drive near Skyline Drive, Code Enforcement has been dealing with a landlord issue.

Mize says, Derrick Allison from Jackson County owns the top 4 apartments and has not kept the properties in repair or clean.

Officers were able to serve Civil Process on Allison in April of 2021. Since that time, he has had five court dates which he failed to appear.

The city followed through with Building and Code inspections of the four apartments.

All four were deemed uninhabitable and failed building code.

The tenants have been served eviction notices with a due date of January 2, 2022, at 5:00 p.m.

Allison also failed to renew his City Business license for the 2020-2021 year and cannot renew his 2022 license until his appearance in court.

Mize says this has been an ongoing effort to clean up the area.

WNEG News will continue to follow this story and bring you updates as they become available.