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Kosciusko County is rethinking the way it allows houses to be relocated after a troubling experience last month.
The county heard several complaints after relocation of a home down a narrow road resulted in some unexpected damage.
Kosciusko County typically grants half a dozen permits to move buildings each year, and rarely has any problems.
However, a moving project Sept. 25 encountered unexpected damage and a verbally combative exchange between movers and residents, said county highway engineer Ken Traylor, who earlier approved the move.
Although Traylor said he believes damages will be remedied, the issue brings to light some important issues.
Currently, anyone wanting to move a building must receive a permit from the highway department.
Traylor inspected the moving route prior to the move and acknowledged that some mailboxes and trees would have to be removed.
All of those items, he noted, were in the road right-of-way, which falls within county jurisdiction.
The move resulted in an expensive plastic fence being scraped and involved removal of an additional tree. Two mailboxes were sawed off and afterward nailed back together.
"That's not acceptable," Traylor told the county commissioners Tuesday.
Traylor has informed the parties responsible for the mess to rectify the situation by Oct. 11 or expect expenses for repairs to be taken out of a performance bond signed by the mover.
Traylor said the county in future cases may ask the owner of the building to provide a performance bond since he is ultimately responsible for the project.
Traylor said any changes would not likely come in the form of an ordinance, but would represent a policy change.
"Communications with the property owners need to be improved. Without any doubt, it should be identified precisely who's going to do the notification and how much time should be given to property owners to move their own fence or mailbox," Traylor said.
