Western Carolina Regional Sewer Authority v. Bell

Goolsby, Judge:

George R. Bell, Sr. appeals the trial court’s order holding him in contempt for the willful failure to pay delinquent user charges to the respondent Western Carolina Regional Sewer Authority in violation of a previous order. The only issue we address is whether the earlier order in definite terms directs Bell to pay the user charges. We hold that the order does not clearly mandate their payment and we therefore reverse the trial court’s finding of contempt.

In July 1977, Bell and other plaintiffs brought a class action on behalf of certain property owners serviced by Western…