Metro Codes cites injunction, pursues repeat enforcement on Cane Ridge properties

Will Dodd, assistant director of Metro Codes, told District 33 residents the department has added inspectors and a dedicated attorney to pursue property-standards enforcement and environmental court actions. He described a recent case involving an illegal junkyard on Cane Ridge Road: a permanent injunction was obtained and when the owner allegedly violated it, the department filed for contempt and the judge imposed jail time.

Dodd said codes conducts reinspections and will return properties to court if owners pay fines but do not remedy violations. He acknowledged the department’s enforcement mechanism is limited largely to fines (he cited a statutory $50-per-day penalty historically set in state law) but that repeat filings and prosecutions remain the department’s primary tool.

Residents asked for better feedback loops after complaints are filed in Hub Nashville and for more weekend inspections to stop construction or clearing done over weekends. Dodd advised residents to use the Metro ePermits portal to check inspector notes (which are not always visible on the Hub), to provide parcel IDs and addresses for problem properties, and said he would follow up on specific parcels.

On construction hours, Dodd reiterated standard Metro rules allowing work Monday–Saturday 7 a.m.–7 p.m. (with expanded summer hours) and said Sunday work requires a rare special permit.

Dodd asked residents to continue filing Hub tickets and to submit parcel IDs so staff can provide specific case notes and follow up with enforcement or inspector histories.