House ordered to be sold in divorce judgement

Officials are still investigating what has been called a “suspicious” house fire in the Smokerise subdivision late Sunday evening.

Peachtree City Fire Marshal Dave Williamson confirmed Thursday afternoon that samples from the scene have been sent for analysis, but he couldn’t provide further details about the investigation.

Meanwhile neighbors have reported that the home was vacated recently, and the Citizen has learned that the home, formerly occupied by Terry and Kay Beckom, is one of four properties the couple has been ordered to sell as part of their divorce proceedings.

The divorce went to a September jury trial in Fayette County Superior Court. According to court filings, the Beckoms were ordered to be out of the home by mid-November, but Terry Beckom petitioned the court in late November saying Kay Beckom had not yet moved out of the home. That filing was in response to a petition from Kay Beckom claiming that her husband missed two consecutive monthly child support payments of $4,100 each.

The heavily damaged home has already been torn down by State Farm Insurance to eliminate the potential hazard, Williamson said. The Georgia Fire Marshal’s office has joined the investigation with the Peachtree City Fire and Police Departments and with State Farm, Williamson noted.

Kay Beckom was convicted in July of several criminal charges stemming from an unsupervised teen party at the home where alcohol was served, according to court documents. Beckom was convicted of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, obstruction of a police officer and maintaining a disorderly house; she was sentenced to a $3,000 fine, placed on 24 months probation and required to do 50 hours of community service.

Beckom has filed an appeal of the decision with the Georgia Court of Appeals.

The charges stemmed from an incident Dec. 3 of last year at the Beckom home.