On December 30, 2020, Superior Court Judge Gregory Bell signed a judgment for a Chapter 19 Nuisance Abatement action against a Robeson County residence, 5004 Union Chapel Road in Pembroke, N.C.
Chapter 19 of the N.C. General Statutes defines a public nuisance, and allows for a civil remedy to abate such nuisance activities.
The action began on October 29, 2020 when county and state officials alleged the property was an ongoing haven for illegal activity. Due to the action, the defendant and property owner, Jeffery Bill Privette, was banned from ever operating or maintaining a public nuisance anywhere in the State, and his property was not to be maintained as a public nuisance anymore.
“This location has been a problem for the past two-and-a-half years, constantly draining law enforcement resources and reducing the quality of life for members of the Union Chapel community,” said Robeson County Sheriff Burnis Wilkins. “This long overdue solution is a result of an outstanding collaborative effort between Robeson County officials, the property owner and members of the ALE Nuisance Abatement Team.”
The terms of the consent judgement effectually closed the property, and stated it may never be used for illegal activity again. The judgement also limited the number of people and vehicles allowed on the property, and two of Privette’s adult children were no longer allowed to live there due to their involvement in the illegal activity. If the conditions in the agreement are not followed, the property could potentially be forfeited.
Sheriff Wilkins expressed gratitude for the effort and outcome. “I sincerely appreciate the cooperation and reasonableness of the property owner, Jefferey Bill Privette, in allowing for a timely and successful resolution that mandated closure of the property,” stated Wilkins.
The investigation and information gathered for this lawsuit was a joint effort between members of the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office and members of ALE’s Nuisance Abatement Team. “We are extremely pleased to offer assistance to our law enforcement partners in these nuisance cases,” said Scottie Shoaf, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Nuisance Abatement Team. “This judgment brings much needed change to a community negatively impacted for far too long.”
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