Town of Hickory Creek vs. Ronald Furtick - The Town Takes Further Legal Action to Protect the Community

The Hickory Creek Town Council remains unwavering in its duty to protect the health, safety, welfare, and quality of life of the residents of this community. That duty is not optional. It is a core responsibility of local government, and the Town will continue to use every lawful tool available to enforce its Code, its ordinances, and the rules designed to protect Hickory Creek residents.

Ronald Furtick owns and operates the compound located at 1500 Turbeville Road. For years, the compound has been used as an unlawful, unpermitted, and heavily intensified mobile home/RV compound and storage yard. The compound does not have adequate sewer infrastructure for the level of activity occurring on site, and required permits have not been obtained to lawfully support the number of persons, trailers, recreational vehicles, and structures located there.

This is not a paperwork dispute. This is a public health, safety and neighborhood protection issue.

The Town previously filed suit against Mr. Furtick and his associated entities to stop ongoing violations at the compound. The Town has now taken additional legal action in the Denton County Court at Law to address continuing violations and to protect the community from the consequences of Mr. Furtick’s continued refusal to bring the compound into compliance.

Photographs, public records, inspection materials, engineering information, resident complaints, and documents produced in litigation all confirm the same basic reality: 1500 Turbeville has grown into a dense, unpermitted trailer and RV compound that is incompatible with surrounding properties, inadequate for existing sewer conditions, and harmful to the character and safety of the surrounding area.

The Town’s legal action seeks appropriate relief against Mr. Furtick for ongoing violations of Town ordinances, including civil penalties, injunctive relief, and any other relief available under law. The Town will not allow repeated violations to be treated as a mere cost of doing business.

An Unpermitted Compound, Not a Lawful Neighborhood

The compound has expanded over time into a large, unpermitted trailer and recreational vehicle compound served by sewer infrastructure that was never designed, permitted, or approved for the current level of use.

What exists today is not orderly development. It is not the “downtown vision” once contemplated for this compound. It is not a lawful planned community. It is a crowded, makeshift, noncompliant shanty that has generated repeated complaints and serious concerns from surrounding property owners.

The compound is located directly adjacent to Founders Classical Academy and near single-family residential neighborhoods. Families, students, teachers, and nearby residents should not be forced to live with the consequences of one property owner’s refusal to comply with basic development, zoning, sanitation, and permitting requirements.

Retaliation Concerns Involving Tenants Who Speak Out

The Town has received information indicating that residents who raised concerns about conditions at the compound appeared to face eviction proceedings shortly thereafter.

One example is Tammy Cullison, a former resident of Lot 109. On April 8, 2022, Ms. Cullison provided a written complaint to the Town and authorized officials to enter the compound to investigate ongoing concerns. Her complaint identified serious infrastructure and health issues, including electrical problems, water issues, sewer backups, alleged illegal utility connections, trash accumulation, and unsafe living conditions.

Just ten days later, on April 18, 2022, Ronald Furtick and Ecclesiastical Equity LP filed an eviction petition against Ms. Cullison. After that first eviction filing proved unsuccessful, Mr. Furtick filed a second eviction proceeding against her on June 1, 2022.

The timing of these filings raises serious concerns. Residents who report sewage, utility, trash, or safety issues should not have to fear eviction for speaking up. The Town will continue to consider this evidence as part of the larger pattern of conduct surrounding the compound.

The Compound Has Grown Worse Over Time

A review of historical images shows a clear and troubling pattern. Year after year, the number of trailers, recreational vehicles, mobile homes, boats, and structures on the compound has increased.

What may once have been limited activity has grown into an extensive, unauthorized compound. The visual record demonstrates that the problem has not corrected itself. It has expanded.

Evidence indicates that the current level of development far exceeds the capacity for which the existing wastewater system was designed. Engineering documentation and inspection reports reflect that the permitted on-site sewage facility was designed to serve only a limited number of mobile homes. The compound now contains dozens of recreational vehicles and mobile homes, with many being used for residential occupancy.

That increase matters. More occupied units means more wastewater, more utility demand, more traffic, more noise, more drainage impact, and more pressure on infrastructure that was never approved for this use.

Satellite Images Show the Scope of the Problem

Recent satellite imagery provides a clear view of what has happened at the compound. The compound has been overrun with trailers, recreational vehicles, mobile homes, boats, storage materials, and other structures clustered across the site.

These images are not consistent with thoughtful development. They are not consistent with a lawful downtown plan. They are not consistent with the orderly use of property near a school and residential neighborhoods.

They show the magnitude of the unauthorized use and the resulting impact on Hickory Creek’s community character.

Complaints From Surrounding Property Owners

Nearby residents have repeatedly raised concerns about conditions on the compound, including sewage odors, drainage issues, insects, runoff, noise, and general impacts from the use of the property as an unauthorized compound.

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

The Town does not intend to ignore those residents. The Town does not intend to leave neighboring property owners to bear the burden of Mr. Furtick’s violations.

Sewer Problems Remain Uncorrected

Mr. Furtick’s own engineer has acknowledged that the existing sanitary sewer infrastructure is not sufficient to serve the current level of development on the compound. Plans were prepared for substantial sewer improvements, including connection to the Lake Cities Municipal Utility Authority system. The Town approved those plans.

Mr. Furtick still has not completed the required work.

Operating a wastewater system beyond its permitted design capacity creates obvious health and safety concerns. Sewage systems exist to protect people, neighboring properties, groundwater, surface water, and the public. When those systems are overloaded, altered, expanded, or operated without proper permits, the surrounding community is placed at risk.

The Town Tried to Facilitate Lawful Development

More than a decade ago, the Town attempted to work cooperatively toward a better future for the compound. The Town engaged planning professionals to help develop a master plan and mixed-use concept that could have supported a vibrant downtown-style development.

That vision required lawful planning, proper infrastructure, and meaningful action by the property owner.

Instead, Ronald Furtick did not move forward with that vision. He did not file the necessary applications to make it a reality. He did not develop the property into the community asset that had been discussed.

The Town remains committed to thoughtful development. But thoughtful development does not mean tolerating an unpermitted RV and mobile home compound indefinitely.

Mr. Furtick Continues to Resist Inspection and Accountability

Despite the evidence, Mr. Furtick continues to dispute the Town’s concerns. At the same time, he has resisted the Town’s efforts to inspect the compound and evaluate the conditions on site.

The Town has repeatedly sought access to determine the condition of the compound, the extent of violations, and the risks posed by existing infrastructure and occupancy. Rather than simply allowing the Town to inspect and verify conditions, Mr. Furtick has opposed those efforts.

If the compound is safe, lawful, and compliant, there should be nothing to hide.

The Town will continue pursuing the legal authority necessary to inspect, document, and address violations at 1500 Turbeville Road.

The Town Will Not Back Down

The Town of Hickory Creek will not allow one property owner to disregard basic rules at the expense of residents, neighboring property owners, schoolchildren, teachers, and the broader community.

The Town will continue to pursue all available legal remedies in the County Court at Law suit and related proceedings. That includes seeking compliance, penalties, inspection authority, injunctive relief, and any other relief necessary to stop ongoing violations.

Hickory Creek residents deserve safe neighborhoods, lawful development, and clean, properly permitted infrastructure.

The Town intends to fight for exactly that.