By Billy Davis

A mom-and-pop appliance business that operated from a front yard has been ordered to shut down, ending seven months of back-and-forth negotiations with Panola County government.

A formal letter has been mailed that orders husband and wife, Eugene and Katie Smith, to clean up their property within 90 days, Michael Purdy, county code inspector, acknowledged Monday.

The Smiths operate an unnamed business from their home at 18639 Highway 51, between Sardis and Batesville.

The home’s yard is dotted with appliances, washers, dryers, refrigerators, dishwashers, as well as other goods, such as TVs and dining room chairs, all for sale to the public.  

The home business was ordered in February to seek a county permit to operate a retail business.   

The 90-day deadline began Monday, August 10, when the Smiths appeared before the county land commission.

The letter, from county permit clerk Diane Stewart, came after Katie Smith told land commissioners she was withdrawing a permit application.

“To help everybody out, I’ll just move it all out. I’m tired,” Mrs. Smith told commissioners.

When Smith announced her intentions, her bantering with the commission had gobbled up 40 minutes of the evening meeting. Even then, some of the commissioners were still trying to find a way to allow the Smiths business to operate, suggesting that the permit application for a retail business could be amended.

The county’s clash with the Smiths began in February, when Purdy visited the business and told the Smiths that their retail business required a permit.

Board of Supervisors president Gary Thompson, after receiving complaints of the cluttered yard, had sent Purdy to the Smiths’ home.

Eugene Smith, on February 8, was told by the land commission to seek a special exception permit, which would allow the business to operate in an area zoned agricultural. By April, however, the matter had reached an impasse. The Smiths were asking commissioners for specific requirements while commissioners were asking the Smiths  – for the second time in two months – to submit a sketch or a plan, which are commonly requested from permit seekers.

The Smiths were also advised at the April meeting, from commissioner Danny Jones, that they faced being shut down if they failed to return with concrete plans.

The Smiths then repeatedly failed to return to commission meetings to continue the discussion.

Mrs. Smith, explaining their months-long absence, said at the August 10 meeting that she had believed the land commission was “in cahoots” with the state tax commission. She failed to elaborate.  

At last week’s meeting, Mrs. Smith announced they were selling appliances from a business in Batesville. But they also told commissioners they wanted to operate from their front yard, since people are more familiar with that location.

Mrs. Smith also said they intended to make repairs to the appliances and sell them from the home.

“What percentage is sold at the house versus the store?” asked commission Danny Holland.

“It’s 50/50,” Mr. Smith replied.

The Smith’s suggestion to make repairs to appliances moved the conversation toward discussion of a “salvage yard,” which Mrs. Smith protested.

“How did we get to a salvage yard?” she asked. “We don’t want a salvage yard.”

“But it is a salvage yard,” replied commissioner Sledge Taylor.

Commission consultant Bob Barber, to reiterate the point, then read aloud the zoning definition of a salvage yard and junkyard.

The Smiths’ permit application described a retail business but not a repair business, and commissioners were wrangling with how to amend the permit, to prevent another time-consuming application process, when Mrs. Smith withdrew her application.