Board gives property owner 45 days to abate nuisance at Middletown address; county may abate and lien costs

The Lake County Board of Supervisors on May 5 upheld a notice of nuisance and gave the property owner a 45‑day window to voluntarily remove debris and dismantled vehicles at 15595 Graham Street in Middletown.

Community Development staff presented photos showing an RV in a dismantled state, open outdoor storage, and rubbish visible from public vantage points; staff said they issued both a notice of nuisance in order to abate and a notice of violation. Marcus Beltramo, manager of the code enforcement division, recommended that the board uphold the notice and, if necessary, authorize abatement.

The requester, Shannon Thibodeaux, who said she inherited the property after her father's July 2025 death, told the board she had dismantled the RV to deter squatters and has been trying to clean up but faces physical, financial and weather‑related limits. Thibodeaux said she sold a tractor to pay for living expenses and is trying to salvage materials from the property to fund cleanup.

Board members discussed process options and gave Thibodeaux time to complete cleanup efforts. County staff confirmed fines are stayed pending the hearing and that Thibodeaux had filed a hardship waiver under review. The board directed voluntary abatement within 45 days; if the property is not brought into compliance, code enforcement will abate and the associated costs will become a charge against the property and be placed on the tax rolls as a special assessment.

Why it matters: The action preserves the county’s enforcement tools while prioritizing voluntary compliance and recognizing the property owner’s claimed hardship. The board explicitly gave a fixed timeline and warned of financial consequences if the work is not completed.

Procedure and vote: A motion to uphold the notice and require voluntary abatement within 45 days carried unanimously (4‑0). The motion included staff instruction to proceed with abatement procedures if compliance was not achieved within the deadline.

Next steps: Code enforcement will monitor progress and may accept documentation of substantial progress; if the property remains noncompliant after the deadline, the county will proceed with abatement and assess costs to the property owner.