I became disabled in January 2012. With the decrease in salary, my wife and I had to negotiate a deed in lieu with our mortgage company and find a less expensive home. We purchased a home in Oxford and found out shortly afterwards that the city of Oxford was using .25 acres of it.

When I contacted City Council President Chris Spurlin, he told me that the Parks and Recreation director was under the impression that the property belonged to the city. I then had to get a survey of my property to prove that I owned the property. I received an email from Spurlin stating that the city would repair the damage caused by the city.

The damage it caused was adding rock and asphalt to my property, adding an asphalt turnout from the street leading to my property and placing a drainage ditch through a corner of my property, which there is no easement for. I first emailed Spurlin on May 8 and the city has not corrected anything except for covering the rock and asphalt with red clay and sod. The last email from Spurlin states that the city has done all it’s going to do. Now I’m left with damaged property all because of the city’s incompetence.

William Bowman
Oxford