Developer Seeks Relief From $102,000 In Selma Fines To Renovate Vacant House

SELMA, N.C. – More than $100,000 in Town of Selma fines could be waived on a long-vacant River Road property if a prospective buyer follows through with plans to renovate or demolish the deteriorating house.

Haley Compton-McMillan appeared before the Selma Town Council on Sept. 8 seeking relief from municipal liens attached to the property at 1315 River Road.

Compton-McMillan and her husband own LJM Buys Houses, a North Carolina real estate investment company that purchases and renovates older homes.

The company is under contract to purchase the River Road property and has been working to resolve ownership and title issues that developed following the death of the former owner. Compton-McMillan said the couple had located heirs and that the title issues were largely resolved.

The house has reportedly been vacant since 2018 and is now in need of significant repairs.

More Than $100,000 In Town Fines

Compton-McMillan told the council the property has accumulated approximately $102,000 in Town of Selma fines while sitting vacant.

Approximately $18,380 in delinquent property taxes are also owed on the property.

She said the accumulated fines make purchasing and rehabilitating the house financially impractical unless the town is willing to provide some relief.

Compton-McMillan said she and her husband had contacted several co-owners of the property, including some living outside North Carolina, and obtained agreements to move forward with the sale.

She said the municipal liens were the final “significant obstacle” to returning the property to productive use.

Rather than leave the deteriorating house vacant, the company proposes either rehabilitating the structure or redeveloping the property.

Council Does Not Immediately Erase Fines

The Town Council did not vote to simply waive the approximately $102,000 in fines.

Instead, council members agreed to allow town staff to negotiate an agreement with the company that could provide for the fines to be waived if specific conditions are met.

Under the concept discussed by council, LJM Buys Houses would be required to either renovate the existing house or demolish it within a specified period of time.

The deadline and other terms will be worked out between town staff and the company.

That arrangement would give the prospective buyer an incentive to take control of the property while also protecting the town if the promised improvements are not completed.

‘Make Sure Our Town Is Fantastic’

Mayor Byron McAllister said the town’s ultimate objective in imposing code enforcement penalties is to get problem properties corrected, not simply accumulate fines.

The goal, McAllister said, is not to collect fees, “but to make sure our town is fantastic.”