Spidle

Worried that some Lauderdale County residents are avoiding the law, Tax Collector Doris Spidle is looking at new rules for garbage service.

“We are proposing that the board allow us to hold tenant car tags for delinquent garbage fees,” Spidle told county supervisors at Thursday’s work session. “We want to be able to hold a person’s car tag who owes delinquent garbage fees, regardless whether they are tenants or landowners. We would first look to the tenant to pay the fee. If they hadn’t paid it, we would look to the landowner to pay it.”

Spidle said people are skirting the law by putting vehicles in another person’s name or other ways.

“People are aware of what loopholes are out there. People are using them and they owe thousands of dollars in garbage fees because they’re landowners and we can’t collect,” Spidle said. “The law is that we can’t hold a renter’s car tags because we must collect from the landowner.”

Under state law, tax collectors can hold car tags of people living at addresses where the garbage fee is delinquent.

“Out in west Lauderdale, there is a gentleman who has a trailer park and collects from his tenants their portion of the garbage fee each month. As I see it, if landowners would charge the tenant $10 more each month then they would be able to pay those garbage fees each month without it having to come out of their pocket,” Spidle said.

Arrow Disposal Service Inc. (ADSI) provides garbage cans for the county and bills the county for the number of cans put out each month.

“We’re asking Arrow to refer people to us if they need garbage cans picked up or delivered so we can bill the tenant rather than people go through ADSI,” Spidle said. “I think this would help landowners not having to worry about paying their garbage fees themselves.”

It’s also proposed that there is a new owner of a piece of property, or an attorney can provide proof of vacancy of property, the tax collector’s office will be able to adjust delinquent bill accordingly.

In other business, a public hearing is scheduled during Monday’s regular meeting at 9:30 a.m. to determine whether property located on Highway 19 South, which contains an alleged dangerous well, is considered a nuisance property.