County tears down mobile home in Maxton as the result of nuisance abatement case ruling – The Robesonian

A mobile home on Jefferson Road in Maxton is demolished Wednesday after its owner failed to comply with a court order to move or demolish the structure as the result of a nuisance abatement case involving the Robeson County Sheriffs Office and North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcements Nuisance Abatement Team.

Courtesy photo | Sheriff Burnis Wilkins

MAXTON Crews were out Wednesday morning demolishing a property on Jefferson Road that was known for its long history of criminal activity after a county nuisance abatement case ruling was issued.

The mobile home situated on property at 136 and 178 Jefferson Road had a history of fights, drug violations, and was the subject of calls to the Robeson County Sheriffs Office. Robeson County Superior Court Judge Gregory Bell entered a consent judgment against the home on Nov. 16, stating it was to be demolished by Feb. 1 or moved at least 10 miles away from the current location.

Owner Wallace Locklear did not comply with the order, leaving it up to county officials to demolish the home on Wednesday, Sheriff Burnis Wilkins said.

Prior to this lawsuit, the property was known for continuous drug activity, disturbances, fights and shootings. The Robeson County Sheriffs Office worked jointly with the North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcements Nuisance Abatement Team to bring peace back to this community, Wilkins said in a Facebook post.

The demolition of this property demonstrates to the community that violence and illegal drug activity will not be tolerated, he wrote.

On April 8, three people were arrested in connection to an April 7 shooting at the home that left one man hospitalized. Among charges issued were possession of a stolen firearm, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and assault by pointing a gun at a law enforcement officer.

The case is one of many crimes connected to the home, according to county officials.

Robeson County doesnt just decide to tear houses down because of criminal activity, County Attorney Rob Davis said. The intent to do so is motivated by factors like criminal history at the site, and the complaints and fears of community members.

For example, one community member said she was afraid to let her child play in the yard because of activity at the Jefferson Road home, he said.

These are the houses with the ones that are repeat offenders, Davis said.

The county often contacts the landowner first to get nuisance issues under control before taking the drastic step of demolishing a home, he said. If things dont change, then more steps are taken.

When you start talking about tearing somebodys house down, you get their attention, said Gary Locklear, a county attorney.

Locklear said he has no knowledge of a home being torn down in an abatement case because of crimes in the past three years he has served as a county attorney.

In 2020, the county was involved in three nuisance abatement cases and four public health abatement cases to prevent mass gatherings at public establishments in an attempt to prevent the spread of COVID-19, Davis said.

And it isnt finished with nuisance cases yet. Three other cases are in motion, with two landowners agreeing to cease nuisances at their homes, he said.

In similar cases, not every landowner is responsible for nuisance issues at a property, he said. In some cases tenants renting the property might be the culprits.

The county attorney hopes the Jefferson Road case sends a message to others that if they engage in similar activities, they are taking a risk.

Sheriff Wilkins also said more action is to come in nuisance abatement cases.

When elected I spoke of ridding our communities of crime and grime. This is an example of that occurring as this area of the county has endured criminal activity for far too long, Wilkins said.

Reach Jessica Horne at 910-416-5165 or via email at [emailprotected]

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County tears down mobile home in Maxton as the result of nuisance abatement case ruling - The Robesonian