Man Jailed Over Property Dispute

GLADEWATER — A Gladewater man has been ordered to jail because he has not relinquished a Gregg County property to its rightful heir. Judge Alfonso Charles held Earnest Lee Hoye in contempt of court Friday for hindering a Virginia man from taking ownership of his property in the Red Rock area of Gladewater and ordered him to spend 180 days in county jail, beginning July 15. Hoye missed the court hearing Friday because he was admitted into a local hospital with health complications, his attorney said.

In February, Charles ruled that David Green was the rightful heir of the property and ordered Hoye, the previous resident, to remove junk, a house and two mobile homes that were without utilities. When Green returned from Virginia on Monday, he found that Hoye’s daughter was living in the house; electricity had been installed in one mobile home, where drugs and drug paraphernalia was found; and junk remained, Green testified Friday.

Hoye’s attorney said he has suffered hardships in removing the junk, highlighted by his wife’s death from cancer in spring. Charles said he sympathized, but Hoye has used too many excuses in delaying court orders since Green filed suit against Hoye in 2007.

Charles also denied Clay’s motion for a new trial and signed documents stating any one on the property not authorized by Green would be deemed trespassers.