“I would like to know why my house was on the front page of The Coal Valley News?” Scragg asked last week after seeing the story in the July 21 edition.
“I would like a retraction to be printed, because there is no truth to the story,” she said.
The Madison City Council voted unanimously to declare the home and property located at 155 State Street a “public nuisance.”
The home is the first residence on the right side of the road when you enter Madison.
The vote came after several residents complained at the July 12 city council meeting to having witnessed drug deals, public intoxication and other illegal activities.
Madison Mayor H.H. “Sonny” Howell said at the meeting he had been inside the residence, which is being used as a boarding house, when a woman was allegedly stabbed.
Scragg says there were some problems when she first started renting rooms, but they have been “removed.”
“At one point, when I first started renting rooms, there were some problems,” she said. “They have been removed, and I have no problems now.”
Scragg says the drug dealing allegations are also false.
“The only drugs allowed in this house are prescribed by a doctor,” she said.
The city said although it has no ordinances regarding “boarding homes,” it does have a public nuisance law.
“All buildings, bridges or other structures kept in a manner which is dangerous, unsafe, unhealthy or annoying to the public can be declared a public nuisance by the council,” said James Cooke, the town’s recorder.
“If the Town of Madison wants to take this matter to court, I will vigorously defend my rights,” Scragg said.
The next Madison City Council meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m., Monday, Aug. 2.
Scragg says she hasn’t decided if she will attend. “I want to talk to a lawyer first,” she said.
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