A homeowner in Georgia, Eric Arnold, is suing Macon-Bibb County officials after they allegedly demolished his property without a court hearing. Arnold purchased the home in Macon for $15,000 in February 2022 and was in the process of renovating it for his family.
“It’s like they just took it all away from me,” Arnold told news station WMAZ. “They took my dignity away from me like I wasn’t even a person. Like ‘You don’t even exist, we’re just going to do what we want. This is our town.’”
He was renovating a “fixer-upper” home in Macon, Georgia, intending to live there eventually, however, his plans were disrupted when a dumpster was placed on his property, and the home was labeled an “imminent threat to the community.”
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Arnold’s home, which he purchased unaware it was listed for demolition, was eventually torn down in November 2023. His lawyers claim there were no liens or public records from Code Enforcement indicating the demolition order.
The demolition of Arnold’s home was part of Mayor Lester Miller’s 2021 Blight Fight initiative to remove dangerous structures from neighborhoods.
Arnold insists he paid his taxes and obtained the necessary permits to save the home before it was torn down.
“I did everything I was supposed to do. I thought I was okay. I wasn’t okay. They still knocked my house down,” Arnold said.
“While he still had work to do, the yard was neat, the exterior was clean, the house was locked up, and, most importantly, it was in a vastly improved state of repair compared to when he purchased it,” Arnold’s lawyer Christie Herbert wrote in a statement on her website.
Herbert claimed that Macon-Bibb County expedited the demolition of Arnold’s home despite his requests to stop and remove it from the demolition list.
Now, only a concrete slab and a mailbox post remain on the property. Arnold is seeking compensation for the cost of the house and renovations.
Arnold’s home is the latest in a series of renovation projects in the neighborhood that were abruptly halted due to aggressive demolition efforts, according to neighbor Jerry Collins.
“There’s a lot of folks that are doing their best to bring these old houses back to life and revitalize the neighborhood. I see good things but if this keeps up, those good things may not happen and that’s what really concerns me,” Collins told the outlet.
“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,” Herbert said during a press conference on the empty lot where the home used to be.
Macon-Bibb County officials stated they have not yet seen a lawsuit from Arnold but did release a statement regarding the demolished house, according to WMAZ.
“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,” Macon-Bibb County wrote.
In a statement, Macon-Bibb County officials said the property was marked as blighted before Arnold purchased it in February 2022.
They claim Arnold had 20 months to obtain construction permits or make repairs, but since no permits were reported, the demolition proceeded.
