Tidwell explained to the magistrate that after Brenda Ray’s death in May 2024 and the preceding demise of her husband in December 2022, the properties fell into disrepair. Tidwell was authorized a limited budget to make the properties marketable but not to renovate them. He detailed actions taken to clean up the properties, such as removing abandoned vehicles and addressing overgrowth, emphasizing the estate’s limited financial capacity to address the liens fully. Tidwell proposed a $40,000 payment to the city to clear the liens, arguing that the new owners would be capable of restoring the properties to compliance once the sales were finalized.

The magistrate was firm in requiring disclosure of the properties’ sale prices to consider the lien reduction, arguing that the city had suffered long-term damages due to the non-compliance. The estate’s legal representative, Andrea Lyons, contended that since the city had not acted on the code violations for over a decade, it was unreasonable to hold the estate fully accountable. Lyons asserted that the sales would cover the liens, even though exact figures were not provided.

Public testimony highlighted the community’s frustration with the prolonged non-compliance of the properties. Local property owners expressed their support for the city’s stance, emphasizing the importance of holding property owners accountable for maintaining property standards. Bruce Naylor, a local realtor, provided the magistrate with property value assessments.