Collierville and homeowner reach agreement over parties and Airbnb listing, town says
Collierville had filed a complaint in Shelby County Chancery Court against Rodney Williams, the owner of the property at 9496 Mayfield Road. The town sought injunctive relief against Williams to prevent the property from hosting pay-to-attend commercial events or being advertised as a short-term rental on Airbnb —both of which, the town says, are against its ordinances.
"The Town's attorney spoke with both Mr. Williams and his attorney this afternoon, and they agreed to the entry of a consent decree putting in place a permanent injunction forbidding the use of the Mayfield property as a party venue and a short term rental," Town Administrator Molly Mehner told The Commercial Appeal in a statement on July 9.
The Commercial Appeal's attempts to contact Williams for comment on July 9 were unsuccessful.
The court had issued a temporary restraining order against Williams, which prohibited engaging in any activities at the property that "violate the Ordinances and applicable laws governing the use of the property."
"We will ask for the Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) to be extended until the final order can be entered by the Court," Mehner said.
A hearing had been scheduled for July 10 in Shelby County Chancery Court over the town's request for an injunction.
COLLIERVILLE NEWS: Taxes, water/sewer rate and employee raises: Breaking down Collierville's new budget
In its lawsuit, Collierville references two pay-to-attend parties at the residence, which it claims equate to running a business venture in a residential area and violate the town's ordinances. The lawsuit includes social media posts advertising the events.
The town states in the lawsuit that commercial events at which admission is charged are not allowed uses in residential zoned property in Collierville.
At the events in December and June, Collierville Police Department responded to several complaints from neighbors and arrested or cited several people for illegal possession of weapons, drug offenses and multiple traffic infractions, according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit also states the occupancy at the residence exceeded the capacity and was in violation of the fire code regulations of the town. It also cited other concerns with the parties, including noise violations such as loud music and parking problems that negatively impacted surrounding homes.
In the lawsuit, Collierville said the activities at the house party resembled operations of a nightclub, dance club, bar, or other place of assembly, none of which are approved uses under the zoning ordinance.
Corey Davis is the Collierville and Germantown reporter with The Commercial Appeal. He can be reached at Corey.Davis@commercialappeal.com or 901-293-1610.
To keep up with the latest news from the Shelby County suburbs, sign up here for our Suburban Pulse weekly newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Collierville: Agreement reached in Airbnb listing, parties dispute
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