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After removing an estimated 7 to 8 tons of trash from within and around it, Fulton County officials last week demolished a house near East Point.

A court order authorizing the demolition of the house on Old Fairburn Road came after nearly eight years' worth of citations and attempts made by code enforcement officers to get the owner to comply with county ordinances, officials said.

A county "nuisance abatement" ordinance passed a couple of years ago made the order possible. "This was our first attempt under this [ordinance], said County Commissioner Bill Edwards, who pushed for the measure. "There were a lot of phone calls from a lot of surrounding residents. They were complaining and we understood, but we were going through the process to get this taken care of."

The demolition comes as county code enforcement officials work to revive their Citizen Deputy Program, in which residents take an active role in fighting neighborhood eyesores.

"Citizens go through a weeklong training program to identify code violations," said Tony Phillips, who coordinates the program. "They'll be extra eyes and ears for us. We have 10 code enforcement officers and getting more people helps us cover more ground more effectively."

Demolition of the house at 3945 Old Fairburn Road began June 23 and continued over the next five days. Much of that time was spent clearing a backyard containing so much clutter that two vehicles were barely visible under mountains of construction debris.

A lien will be placed on the property for the cost of the demolition —- estimated to be $25,000 to $30,000 —- and the house can't be sold or refinanced until the county is paid.

What's left after the work is an empty lot that has made neighbors very happy, Phillips said.

"Elated is the word I would use," Phillips said. "One of the neighbors I spoke with ... thought it was better to have a clean lot, even if it's empty, than a home filled with debris and garbage."

To find out more about the program, call 404-612-TELL.