WMC-TV: News, Weather, Traffic, Radar, and Sports for Memphis, TN; WMCTV.com | Man says he's willing to go to court to fight over roadway

Man says he's willing to go to court to fight over roadway

By Justin Hanson - bio | email | Twitter | Facebook

HALLS, TN (WMC-TV) - A Mid-South man says he's willing to go to court over a gravel roadway leading to his house.  Halls resident Dave Burris says the road is the county's responsibility, but county officials disagree.

Burris has lived on his property for 15 years.  For 10 of those years, he's been fighting the county, saying the gravel driveway is a county road and not private property.

"Until I questioned why maintenance stopped, I was never told it was private property and to this day, nobody can give us a map that shows that is private property," Burris said.

Burris says the county maintained the road for about five years, then stopped.  And even though he has documentation saying it is a county road, county officials say otherwise.

"I tried to explain to them that is not an easement for that road, that is an easement across my neighbor's property to get to that county road," Burris said.

Lauderdale County officials tell Action News 5 that, at one time, they did actually maintain private driveways and long driveways.  But a lawsuit in 2000 said that was illegal.  Therefore, county officials say this is private property and they won't maintain it.

On top of the tall weeds, Burris says he's most worried about the road washing away.  There are already several large sinkholes on the small section of road and Burris fears it will only get worse.

"That much has gone by in the last two rainstorms...its not going to take that much to wash the entire driveway out," he said.

Burris plans to continue his fight, even if he has to take it to court.

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