Jefferson County places lien after county demolition; commission to work with church on payment terms

The Jefferson County Commission voted March 19 to assess a special lien of $11,650 for demolition and cleanup of a condemned structure after a dispute between county staff and the property’s church owners over cost and timing.

Representatives for the church said they had been attempting to demolish the building themselves and had previously been quoted much lower contractor costs; they said county communications and a change in contractors led to higher costs and confusion. Staff explained the county terminated a prior contractor for poor performance, rebid the work, and that typical demolition and landfill fees for similar structures averaged about $10,000–$11,000, which contributed to the lien amount recorded in the transcript as $11,650.

After discussion about the lien amount, notification attempts and the fact the owner retained use of the cleared property, commissioners voted to assess the lien and instructed staff and legal to work with the property owners on an administrative payment plan. Commissioners discussed options such as multi‑year payment schedules; staff said the lien remains recorded against the parcel until paid or cleared at sale.

For a related demolition at 613 Butler Avenue, staff asked for and received a 30‑day delay to finalize hauling and billing details; that item was tabled for additional administrative work.

The commission emphasized it would pursue a practical arrangement with the owner while also following legal constraints about special assessments and lien recording.