Why don't government offices in Memphis call back?

Question

I want to share an experience I am having with Memphis.  Some time back I purchased a property on Silas Rd. and when I got home from work on the evening of the 5th, I had waiting for me a violation warning from the Department of Environmental Enforcing.  I life in Philadelphia, but fortunately I still had the contact information for someone who had taken pictures for me of properties when I was in the process of buying.  I sent him an email that evening.  By the evening of the 6th he had not answered, so I called him.  He said he would check it out, take care of cleaning it up if not much was involved, and find me someone if it was a big job.  Yesterday, he 8th, it occurred to me to check on the notice for the deadine I was given. I was shocked to find the deadline was, in fact, the 8th!  Needless to say, when they put the notice in the envelope they had printed out, they knew full well it was going to Pennsylvania, where it didn’t arrive until the 5th.

The notice includes that if the lot has not been cleaned up by the deadline, the city will take care of it and charge the delinquent owner at least $110 an hour for the work.

I called my contact, Brooks, who went out to the lot yesterday. He is returning today with someone who will presumably do it, although not necessarily today.

Yesterday morning I called Michael Ward, the contact name provided, explained the situation, and asked him to call me back.  Over the course of the day I continued leaving him messages and Brooks left him messages as well, but he never called either of us back.  I made several calls to the main number provided on the notice, but I got voicemail again no one called me back. I learned that this office is under the Department of Housing, and when I called that third number I was surprised to yet again get voicemail and no one called me back.

Can someone familiar with the situation in Memphis comment on all this?

Reed Rickenbach · Answer

It's tough. I usually just have to call & email a lot to get things completed. Just keep pushing..

Haider Tiwana · Answer

Shelby County is working with terribly antiquated systems with heavy bureaucracy choking its update. I once called the county clerks office and was on hold for 27 minutes only to be told I have the wrong extension. the call center representative then told me there’s no way to find the correct number online without being told directly. we then had a long chat about the numerous misdirected calls she's received for other depts facing the same issue. I emailed Mick Wright with my grievance and he responded saying the "[Shelby County Clerk's office] is a separately elected office that does not report to the county commission, so there is little I can do personally to directly implement the needed policy changes. Because the responsible party is Clerk Halbert alone, I have done my best to advance this issue in the courts. The best news I can share is that the clerk’s ouster case will be heard in the appeals court on September 17."

here is the latest on the ouster case: https://www.commercialappeal.com/story/news/local/2025/10/27...

TLDR? it's a damn clownshow and not expected to change anytime soon.

Blake Whiddon · Answer

Because they don't work.

Sylvia Castellanos · Answer

At this point, the man's  letter allows him to send his own team in to clear it and charge me $110 the hour for it. I am trying to reach the man to say I am working as hard as I can to get the lot cleared as soon as possible.   I have left him voicemail messages, but I can't actually reach him. When I call the number for his division, I again get voicemail and no one calls me back. How can Memphis government workers get away with something so disgraceful?

Why don't government offices in Memphis call back?

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