GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — Gwinnett County completed a court-ordered cleanup of a problem property on Riva Ridge Drive after neighbors say they used a citizen petition to help pressure officials into action.
Channel 2 Gwinnett County Bureau Chief Matt Johnson reported the county hired contractors to remove mountains of trash, debris and personal belongings that had accumulated outside a house on Riva Ridge Drive over several years. The nine-day operation cost $20,500.
“It is a huge difference,” said State Representative Marvin Lim, D-Norcross, who helped neighbors navigate the legal process.
The property had become a nightmare for some, attracting pests and creating health concerns for families living nearby, Lim said.
“If you can imagine all of those things in the before picture, and the pests that they were attracting, the smells that people would smell,” Lim said.
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Frustrated neighbors initially tried contacting the out-of-state property owner directly but got no response.
After Channel 2 Action News first reported on the issue in 2024, Lim discovered a provision in county ordinances allowing citizens to petition the government to investigate public health violations.
“I did not know about this, like citizen petition provision, until we were faced with this problem and we were looking for ways to deal with it,” Lim said.
Gwinnett County filed an “in rem” action in Magistrate Court ordering the property owner to clean up the nuisance conditions.
When the owner failed to comply, the county received court authority to hire contractors, according to a county spokesperson.
The cleanup costs will be recovered through a lien placed on the property, according to the spokesperson.
“I think this is absolutely a message that when a community gets together, change can happen,” Lim said.
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