Judge signs consent judgment requiring sale of nuisance property

Posted on by Mike Fuhrman

Special to Iredell Free News

After a long history of disturbances, drug violations and numerous calls to the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office, a Mooresville neighborhood will soon see long-awaited changes.

On July 16, Superior Court Judge Joseph Crosswhite signed a consent judgment for a Chapter 19 Nuisance Abatement action against Andrew Kovalchik, the property owner of 311 Elysian Drive, Mooresville.

This judgment concludes a civil nuisance abatement case brought by the Iredell County District Attorney’s Office on behalf of the State of North Carolina. Chapter 19 of the North Carolina General Statutes defines “nuisance” activities and provides for a civil remedy to abate such criminal acts and their detrimental impacts on the community.

According to Iredell County Sheriff Darren Campbell, this lawsuit and subsequent judgment should provide much needed relief for the county.

“This address has been a detriment to the community for years. The Iredell County Sheriff’s Office, working together with Alcohol Law Enforcement’s Nuisance Abatement Team and the District Attorney’s Office have been able to positively impact our community and restore peace to the citizens,” Campbell explained.

The terms of the consent judgment called for the property to be sold and forged an agreement detailing the future intended use of the property, which forbids future nuisance-related activities on the property. In addition, the judgment ordered the property be vacated within 10 days of the entry of the Order.

“I applaud the homeowner for working with us in the shared interest of cleaning up the property and consenting to reasonable restrictions. Also, I would like to commend the citizens of this community for working with law enforcement to ensure the community returns to a more peaceful life,” Campbell said.

“The nuisance abatement law provides a solution for properties that drain law enforcement resources and reduce the quality of life for citizens in these communities,” said Scottie Shoaf, assistant special agent in charge of the Nuisance Abatement Team. “We are pleased to work in conjunction with the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office to bring a permanent resolution to this problem, and embrace the positive changes this judgment will facilitate within the community.”