Cleveland, Tn., Check Into Cash millionaire Allan Jones testified Tuesday that he has a deed to property along the Hiwassee River that TVA says belongs to it.
Mr. Jones was the first witness in a trial of a lawsuit brought by TVA over the construction of a dock, retaining wall, boat ramp and boathouse at the site at river marker 19.7.
TVA says it has asked Mr. Jones to remove the construction, but he has refused.
Mr. Jones said he first saw the river bottom farm after his high school graduation in 1972 when he canoed past it after starting out at Reliance. He said, "I noticed this huge bend. I saw a fox run from a fox hole. I pulled up at a boat ramp and saw a landing. I saw a large farm."
He said, "That's when I decided I wanted to own this farm some day."
Mr. Jones said he bought it along with attorney Conrad Finnell in 1987. He said he bought out attorney Finnell two years later.
He said there was already a rock landing. He said he had it concreted.
Mr. Jones said a tenant pointed out that the landing was eroding away. He said it was mainly caused by jet skis and fast-moving motor boats. He said the landing had only three trees - Hackberries. He said the closest to the river was 15 feet away when he got the land. He said he was later advised that the erosion had lopped off that Hackberry.
Mr. Jones said the erosion was so bad that he watched as a foot of the landing dropped into the river as boats passed.
His attorney, Bill Horton, said there was a loss of over 100 feet of the landing from the time it was acquired until the sea wall was built.
Mr. Jones said he decided to build a sea wall to halt the bank deterioration. He said, "I hired the best guy I could find to build a very well-built sea wall." He then added a dock and boathouse.
He said TVA initially gave him permission to farm the land. He said TVA later revoked that privilege, saying it "didn't provide licenses to people they have disputes with."
TVA says it acquired the 35-acre tract in 1939.
The suit asks for an order directing Mr. Jones to remove the items he had built.
Judge Travis McDonough is hearing the case without a jury.