LAGRANGE – LaGrange County Commissioners authorized a nuisance investigation of the Larry Myers property along State Road 9 north of Lagrange Monday morning.

The action follows the filing of a signed complaint last week. Sheriff Jeff Campos wondered if the commissioners wanted the nuisance officer to follow up on the complaint.

The complaint also came up during a town hall meeting held by Commissioners Terry Martin last Wednesday.

"I told them a lot of the time the code enforcement officer works with these individuals for up to a year or more to get their property cleaned up. It's not going to happen overnight. We try to work with the property owners first. The only time it gets to the point where it comes to us is after they've failed everything else. Then it comes for a hearing. It comes to the commissioners," Martin said.

Former Nuisance Officer Don Wismer said the commissioners had shut him down on a nuisance case against Myers previously due to the cost of pursuing it at that time.

Myers is currently involved in a criminal case for allegedly failing to provide adequate veterinary care for a horse that later died after being removed from the property. The horses along 300 North and State Road 9 are not on Larry Myers property according to Commission President Larry Miller.

Besides being the subject of animal welfare complaints over the years, the property contains a number of junk mobile homes.

Commissioners authorized the nuisance officer to meet with Myers and determine if the complaint has merit.