Town of Hickory Creek vs. Ronald Furtick - The Town Takes Action to Protect Neighborhood

The Hickory Creek Town Council remains unwavering in its duty to safeguard the health, safety, and welfare of the residents of our community. This responsibility is not only a moral obligation but also a legal one, and the Town will continue to exercise its full authority to enforce and apply its Code and Ordinances in furtherance of this mission.

Ronald Furtick owns and operates an illegal and unpermitted mobile home/RV park and storage yard at his property. The property does not have adequate sewer service and proper permits have never been obtained to provide basic utilities to those persons residing there.

To protect these fundamental community interests, on December 20, 2024, the Town filed suit against Ron Furtick and his associated entities in an effort to halt and prevent ongoing and serious violations of the Town’s Code occurring at 1500 Turbeville Road, Hickory Creek, Texas 75065. These violations have resulted in the unlawful discharge of unsanitary wastewater and sewage, creating substantial and unacceptable risks to public health, environmental integrity, and overall quality of life for our residents. The Town’s lawsuit seeks injunctive relief along with civil penalties against Ron Furtick. The maximum amount of penalties is $1,000 per day for each and every day of violation. The Town has issued 140 plus code enforcement citations and Mr. Furtick has paid fines in the amount of $13,520. The Town has approved proposed plans to correct the outstanding sewer deficiencies on-site but Mr. Furtick has yet to complete the required work.  

The property has been expanded over time into a large, unpermitted trailer and recreational vehicle compound served by an undersized septic system originally designed to serve only a limited number of mobile homes.

The Town is actively engaged in discovery in this litigation and remains resolute in its position. The Town intends to vigorously pursue all legal remedies available to stop these violations and hold the responsible parties accountable for the harm inflicted on our community.

The Hickory Creek Town Council will not waver in its commitment to protect the community against threats to health, safety, and welfare. As this case moves forward, the Town will continue to enforce its Zoning Ordinance and all other applicable laws to ensure that the interests of the residents of Hickory Creek are fully defended and preserved.

Timeline of Growth

A review of images over time demonstrates a troubling pattern: year after year, the number of trailers, RVs, and other structures on the property has grown steadily. What began as sporadic placement has escalated into a dense, makeshift encampment. This timeline underscores how the problem has worsened, reinforcing the Town’s responsibility to intervene and prevent further harm to the community’s safety, health, and welfare.

Evidence confirms that the level of development on the property far exceeds the capacity for which the existing wastewater system was designed. According to engineering documentation and inspection reports, the on-site sewage facility originally permitted for the property was designed to serve no more than five mobile homes of approximately 896 square feet each.

However, the property now contains dozens of recreational vehicles and mobile homes, including approximately seventy-five RVs on site, at least thirty-seven are occupied.

The increase in residential units and sewage hookups has dramatically increased the amount of wastewater being generated on the property.

Satellite Images

Recent satellite imagery provides a clear, undeniable view of the scope of activity occurring at 1500 Turbeville Road. This tract of land has been overrun with trailers, RVs, mobile homes, and boats, many clustered in unsafe and unsanitary conditions. These images illustrate the magnitude of the unauthorized use of the property and the resulting impact on the surrounding neighborhood and community character.

The property is located directly adjacent to Founders Academy and near a single-family residential neighborhood.

Over the years, the Town has received numerous complaints from nearby residents regarding conditions on the property, including reports of sewage odors, drainage issues, increased insects, and noise disturbances associated with activity at the compound.

Affidavits from neighboring property owners describe persistent odors consistent with sewage discharge, runoff during rain events, and other conditions that negatively impact surrounding properties.

Sewer Improvements

Mr. Furtick’s own engineer has concluded that the existing sanitary sewer infrastructure on the property is not sufficient to serve the current level of development.  Mr. Furtick’s engineer prepared detailed plans for significant improvements to the sewer system to address the known deficiencies and the Town has approved those plans. Those plans include connecting a new system to the Lake Cities Municipal Utility Authority system. However, despite the preparation and approval of those  plans, Mr. Furtick has not completed the work.

Additionally, evidence obtained during the Town’s investigation indicates that the existing septic system on the property has been altered and expanded without required permits, including relocation of spray fields and modification of system components.

Operating a wastewater system beyond its permitted design capacity creates conditions under which sewage may be exposed to the atmosphere, migrate through saturated soils, or otherwise fail to protect public health and environmental quality.

Mr. Furtick’s failure or refusal to complete the sanitary sewer improvements pursuant to the plans prepared by his engineer means the property remains out of compliance and continues to create health and safety challenges to the surrounding area.

Downtown Vision

In an effort to help facilitate the development of Mr. Furtick’s property, more than a decade ago the Town engaged the Mesa planning group to develop a Master Plan for the Furtick property including a Mixed-Use Planned Development Ordinance. The goal of that project was to create a vibrant “downtown” concept for the property. Town officials and staff invested significant time and resources to collaborate on design elements that would benefit both the community and the property owner. Yet, even after this cooperative work, Mr. Furtick has not advanced the project in any way. Mr. Furtick has not filed any application to rezone his property, nor has he taken any tangible steps toward making the shared vision a reality. The Town remains committed to thoughtful development, but without action from the property owner, this vision for a downtown cannot move forward.

Mr. Furtick Fights to Avoid Any Inspection of the Property

In spite of ample evidence to the contrary, Mr. Furtick, through his attorney, contends that the Town’s allegations of serious health and safety violations at his property are not well founded. In an effort to fairly assess and determine the conditions at Mr. Furtick’s property the Town has made multiple requests to inspect the grounds. In spite of initially agreeing to an inspection, Mr. Furtick has now repeatedly refused to open his property to inspection.  Most recently, Mr. Furtick’s counsel filed formal opposition to the Town’s proposed inspection. If indeed Mr. Furtick has nothing to hide it begs the question of why he continues to fight the Town’s ability inspect the premises.