NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WBTW) – The owner of a North Myrtle Beach rental property has responded to the Horry County Solicitor’s Office’s request of a court to shut the property down.
Due to several complaints to police about noise, violence, and drug sales, the solicitor’s office asked the court to temporarily close the rental property until trial.
The home is in the 500 block of 38th Avenue South and is cited by the city as “uninhabitable.”
The property’s owner, Joe Rideoutte Jr. responded to the requested injunction saying that the request violates due process and that this would amount to the unlawful taking of his property.
Rideoutte also claims that he believes the request violates his First-Amendment rights by “penalizing citizens for calling for police help” and that he “believes that South Carolina’s nuisance statues do not further any legitimate safety goals, but instead, harms public safety by penalizing victims of crimes and other citizens who require emergency assistance.”
In the counter-claim portion of the response, Rideoutte says he believes that he is being “improperly targeted by law enforcement and the City of North Myrtle Beach and/or the Solicitor for the 15th Judicial Circuit.” He goes on to claim that the request is a “frivolous lawsuit” and is not supported by facts.
The counterclaim says Rideoutte is asking for the case to be dismissed with prejudice, that any request for a temporary or permanent injunction be denied, that his attorney fees and costs be paid and any further relief the court decides on.
This is a developing story, count on News13 for updates.
