Putnam Action Committee

Real Stories from Putnam County

Did you know that County rules allow people to live in storage buildings and old motorhomes? With a porta-potty instead of a septic system? With no permits, no identification, and no property taxes? Send us your story! Tell your Commissioners to do something about it!

Silver Point, District 8:

"My husband and I purchased acreage several years ago in Silver Point. We then spent $300,000+ to build a home only to have a woman buy the next door property and start living in a van. She parked it in the drive and travels around in a separate vehicle. It seems that she has built some sort of rickety outhouse and has no septic system whatsoever. I also have sent complaints to the county and NOTHING has been done. I thought we were lone voices in the wilderness. We totally support your efforts and would like to help if we can."

Why should this homeowner who follows the rules pay over $2000 per year in property taxes to subsidize the squatter next door who pays nothing, plus the salaries of County bureaucrats who refuse to do anything about it?

Do you have a similar story? Know someone who does? Send us a photo and a description! Info [at] PutnamAction.org

Feel free to print and distribute our hard-hitting publicity posters below. The more stories we can find, the better!

Text-only versions of the posters below, 4 per page: [ Printable Handouts ]

Remarks to the County Commission (Aug 2019)

The County Commission opens each session with a formality from bygone days: "...draw nigh, come forth, and ye shall be heard!". But they allow a mere 3 minutes at the end of the meeting for such "citizen comments", and they permit no actual discussion.

The first short presentation on the "Safe Housing" issue was made at the June 2019 meeting. Below are the follow-up remarks from the August 2019 meeting. A copy of these remarks, along with one of our publicity posters, was handed out to all Commission members, and were included in the official minutes of the meeting (pdf, pages 30-31).

"In June, I came before this Commission to raise awareness about the county-wide problem of substandard, non-permitted housing, which endangers the occupants, facilitates criminal activity, degrades property values, and reduces County revenue.

My examples included people living in storage buildings and old motorhomes, using a porta-john in the yard instead of a septic system. County officials refused to take action claiming "lack of authority", so I proposed some County rule changes to address these problems.

In July, I drafted a resolution, including citations from the Tennessee Code to support it. I answered the objections raised by the County attorney. I posted all the material at the website PutnamAction.org for anyone to review.

I also mailed a letter to every member of this Commission, with a copy of the draft resolution and links to the supporting material. I volunteered to assist anyone willing to take up this issue. I did not receive even one reply.

Which of you here supports the use of a firetrap storage building as a dwelling? How about the residential use of a portable toilet? In your own neighborhood? How about an old motorhome with a convicted meth dealer camped out on your block? If this is not acceptable in your neighborhood, then why allow it anywhere else?

The Commission just approved an 8% property tax hike on every law-abiding homeowner. You said the money was needed for law enforcement and school safety. Yet no action has been taken to eliminate unsafe, non-permitted dwellings and their tenants. How much property tax revenue is being lost because of this? How much criminal activity is being allowed? How does this help Putnam County?

Governor Lee declared "Building Safety Month" in May, and the County has the obligation to enforce the health and safety standards of the Residential Code. The County also has the authority to "define, prohibit, and regulate all acts, practices, uses of property, and all other things whatsoever liable to be detrimental to the health, morals, comfort, safety, or welfare" of its citizens. This is described at the PutnamAction.org website, and every County homeowner should read it.

Mister Chairman, a lady who lives in District 8 wrote to me and said: "My husband and I purchased acreage several years ago in Silver Point. We then spent $300,000 to build a home only to have a woman buy the next door property and start living in a van. She built some sort of rickety outhouse and has no septic system whatsoever. I have sent complaints to the county and NOTHING has been done. I thought we were lone voices in the wilderness. We totally support your efforts and would like to help if we can."

Why should this lady pay over $2000 per year in property taxes to subsidize the squatter next door who pays nothing, plus the salaries of County officials who refuse to take action? Why should anyone else? She is not alone.

We will continue this campaign until the County accepts its responsibility and exercises its authority to prohibit the occupancy of *any* substandard or non-permitted structure; to prevent the full-time occupancy of any van, camper or motorhome; and to ban the residential use of a portable toilet instead of a septic system."

[ Print This Poster ]

Putnam Action Committee
PutnamAction.org

Storage bldg as dwelling, smoking chimney

Did You Know?

That Putnam County has no regulations against living in a storage building? Or living full time in an old motorhome? Or using a porta-potty in the yard instead of a septic system? That's right!

And that residential building codes, including fire safety, are only applied to regular homeowners and "permitted construction"? No way!

And that some people prefer the rent-free, tax-free, rule-free lifestyle? With no permits and no identification? Including vagrants, fugitives and criminals? Surely not!

And that the County just voted for an 8% property tax hike on regular homeowners, while these freeloaders are exempt? Say, what?!

We say NO to selective enforcement of safety standards, building codes and property taxes! We say NO to firetrap storage buildings!

Ask your County Commissioners if this is true. Ask them to explain it.
Then join us to demand some policy changes!

PutnamAction.org
"For a Better, Safer Putnam County"

[ Print This Poster ]

Putnam Action Committee
PutnamAction.org

"Tiny house" campground

Did You Know?

That Putnam County has no regulations against living in a storage building? Or living full time in an old motorhome? Or using a porta-potty in the yard instead of a septic system? That's right!

And that the "tiny house" movement is growing like wildfire? With people living in shipping containers, homemade trailers, stealth vans, and other unsafe structures? See our website!

And that some people feel entitled to the rent-free, tax-free, rule-free lifestyle? Setting up camp wherever they can get away with it? Surely not!

And that the County just voted for an 8% property tax hike on regular homeowners, while these freeloaders are exempt? Say, what?!

We say NO to selective enforcement of safety standards, building codes and property taxes! We say NO to unrestricted "tiny house" camping!

Ask your County Commissioners if this is true. Ask them to explain it.
Then join us to demand some policy changes!

PutnamAction.org
"For a Better, Safer Putnam County"

[ Print This Poster ]

Putnam Action Committee
PutnamAction.org

Old motorhome with porta-john

Did You Know?

That Putnam County has no regulations against living in a storage building? Or living full time in an old motorhome? Or using a porta-potty in the yard instead of a septic system? That's right!

And that they claim to have no "zoning" rules? No way!

• Zone "A": Homeowners who follow the building codes, install a septic system, and pay their property taxes.


• Zone "B": Those who enjoy the rent-free, tax-free, rule-free lifestyle, including vagrants, fugitives and criminals.

And that the County just voted for an 8% property tax hike on homeowners in zone "A", while the freeloaders in zone "B" are exempt? Say, what?!

We say NO to selective enforcement of safety standards, building codes and property taxes! We say NO to this unfair "zoning" practice!

Ask your County Commissioners if this is true. Ask them to explain it.
Then join us to demand some policy changes!

PutnamAction.org
"For a Better, Safer Putnam County"