By Bruce Rolfe
A controversial topic involving a lien the Climax Village Council placed on a village resident’s property was clarified at the August 4 regular meeting by the Village attorney.
The issue at 115 Watson Street surrounds $2,580 the Village feels is owed to the Village of Climax after the Village had to pay to have items removed from the property in a blight abatement issue that took place in 2020.
The BS&A website lists the name of owner or person on the property tax information as George W. and Lisa Moore.
Climax Village Council President Bill Lewis said Village Attorney Craig Rolfe explained at the August 4 meeting there was a flaw in the process at the Watson Street property. Lewis said the previous village attorney failed to get a judgment placed on the property.
Lewis said Rolfe informed the previous law firm about the flaw and the law firm paid the Village $2,580 “with the stipulation we put it on the Moore’s property.”
Lewis confirmed the check for $2,580 came from the previous law firm.
The Council voted 5-0 to accept the payment at the August 4 meeting, with trustees Ben Moore and Carolyn Kelly being absent.
“There was a mistake made and they (the previous village law firm) agreed they would pay the mistake to make the Village whole and make the citizen whole,” explained Lewis.
The law firm of Bauckham, Thall, Seeber, Kaufman, & Koches PC served as the Village Council’s previous ordinance enforcement attorney and limited general counsel attorney, but submitted a letter of resignation effective November 20, 2024, that was read at the November 19, 2024 Village Council meeting.
The Council selected Craig Rolfe, of Craig A. Rolfe PLLC, Vicksburg, as its new attorney at the January 7, 2025 meeting.
When contacted to respond to Rolfe’s claim there was a flaw in the process at the Watson Street property, the previous village attorney failed to get a judgment placed on the property and why the law firm paid the Village $2,580, Robert Thall, of Bauckham, Thall, Seeber, Kaufman & Koches PC, said in an email: “From our perspective the payment was a reasonable resolution made with the Village regarding the matter. Nothing more, nothing less.”
At a previous meeting Village President Bill Lewis said a blight abatement issue occurred in the year 2020 with a court order issued December 21, 2020. Lewis said the Village of Climax then placed a municipal lien on the property.
A controversial topic involving a lien the Climax Village Council placed on a village resident’s property was clarified at the August 4 regular meeting by the Village attorney.
The issue at 115 Watson Street surrounds $2,580 the Village feels is owed to the Village of Climax after the Village had to pay to have items removed from the property in a blight abatement issue that took place in 2020.
The BS&A website lists the name of owner or person on the property tax information as George W. and Lisa Moore.
Climax Village Council President Bill Lewis said Village Attorney Craig Rolfe explained at the August 4 meeting there was a flaw in the process at the Watson Street property. Lewis said the previous village attorney failed to get a judgment placed on the property.
Lewis said Rolfe informed the previous law firm about the flaw and the law firm paid the Village $2,580 “with the stipulation we put it on the Moore’s property.”
Lewis confirmed the check for $2,580 came from the previous law firm.
The Council voted 5-0 to accept the payment at the August 4 meeting, with trustees Ben Moore and Carolyn Kelly being absent.
“There was a mistake made and they (the previous village law firm) agreed they would pay the mistake to make the Village whole and make the citizen whole,” explained Lewis.
The law firm of Bauckham, Thall, Seeber, Kaufman, & Koches PC served as the Village Council’s previous ordinance enforcement attorney and limited general counsel attorney, but submitted a letter of resignation effective November 20, 2024, that was read at the November 19, 2024 Village Council meeting.
The Council selected Craig Rolfe, of Craig A. Rolfe PLLC, Vicksburg, as its new attorney at the January 7, 2025 meeting.
When contacted to respond to Rolfe’s claim there was a flaw in the process at the Watson Street property, the previous village attorney failed to get a judgment placed on the property and why the law firm paid the Village $2,580, Robert Thall, of Bauckham, Thall, Seeber, Kaufman & Koches PC, said in an email: “From our perspective the payment was a reasonable resolution made with the Village regarding the matter. Nothing more, nothing less.”
At a previous meeting Village President Bill Lewis said a blight abatement issue occurred in the year 2020 with a court order issued December 21, 2020. Lewis said the Village of Climax then placed a municipal lien on the property.
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