Rankin County condemns uninhabitable property at 988 Michelle Drive; cleanup and lien discussion set to follow
January 30, 2026 | Rankin County, Mississippi
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The Rankin County Planning Commission opened a public hearing Jan. 29 concerning 988 Michelle Drive (District 3) after a complaint and inspections by the fire coordinator and code enforcement that found the home uninhabitable.
Staff told commissioners the property had been struck off at a tax sale and is currently shown as state‑owned; no representative for the property appeared at the hearing. Under Mississippi Code §43‑35‑103(c), staff explained, the county may condemn properties that present public health, safety and welfare concerns. Commissioners discussed securing and restricting access to the property, estimating cleanup costs and the county’s practice of placing a cleanup lien on the parcel so future purchasers would inherit cleanup cost responsibilities in addition to existing tax liens.
Commissioners debated the likely cleanup cost (one member estimated about $5,000 for initial demolition/cleanup while others warned it could be considerably higher), reported evidence of squatting on the lot, and asked staff to produce firm cost estimates. A motion to condemn the property carried by voice vote; staff said the next steps would be to seek cost estimates from the county’s shop and to present cleanup cost options for the board’s further consideration. The matter will proceed through justice court as the county’s normal enforcement path after nuisance declaration or condemnation.
The meeting did not produce a detailed acreage figure for the 988 Michelle Drive parcel nor a fixed cleanup budget; staff committed to report back with cost estimates and next procedural steps.
Ending: The commission voted to condemn 988 Michelle Drive and directed staff to obtain cleanup estimates and pursue the county’s normal process, potentially affixing a lien on the property to recover remediation costs.
Staff told commissioners the property had been struck off at a tax sale and is currently shown as state‑owned; no representative for the property appeared at the hearing. Under Mississippi Code §43‑35‑103(c), staff explained, the county may condemn properties that present public health, safety and welfare concerns. Commissioners discussed securing and restricting access to the property, estimating cleanup costs and the county’s practice of placing a cleanup lien on the parcel so future purchasers would inherit cleanup cost responsibilities in addition to existing tax liens.
Commissioners debated the likely cleanup cost (one member estimated about $5,000 for initial demolition/cleanup while others warned it could be considerably higher), reported evidence of squatting on the lot, and asked staff to produce firm cost estimates. A motion to condemn the property carried by voice vote; staff said the next steps would be to seek cost estimates from the county’s shop and to present cleanup cost options for the board’s further consideration. The matter will proceed through justice court as the county’s normal enforcement path after nuisance declaration or condemnation.
The meeting did not produce a detailed acreage figure for the 988 Michelle Drive parcel nor a fixed cleanup budget; staff committed to report back with cost estimates and next procedural steps.
Ending: The commission voted to condemn 988 Michelle Drive and directed staff to obtain cleanup estimates and pursue the county’s normal process, potentially affixing a lien on the property to recover remediation costs.
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