John F. Gussio Jr. and Gregory Gussio, brothers formerly of Vicksburg, have appealed an order to stop work on about 11 homes they were building in Madison, Mayor Mary Hawkins Butler said.

The Gussios were building the homes in a new subdivision when the stop-work orders were issued in October, Butler said.

&#8220I’m a little bit of a hands-on mayor,” Butler said. &#8220I ride through all the subdivisions as a rule.

&#8220I had received complaints about the condition of the lot and about silt running in the streets,” Butler said, adding that she had seen dumping on other lots in the area. &#8220And some of the (homes’) elevations didn’t look quite right.”

Butler then requested investigation by a city building inspector and differences were found between how the homes were being built and plans that had been submitted and approved, she said.

Since the stop-work order was issued, the Gussios have appealed their case to Madison County Chancery Court. They are being represented by John Christopher of Ridgeland and former Mississippi Supreme Court justice Chuck McRae of Jackson.

Reached by phone Tuesday afternoon, McRae declined comment.

A hearing in the case has been set for Monday.

Butler said the Gussios had been given an opportunity to comply with the city’s wishes.

&#8220They had an opportunity to play by the rules,” Butler said. &#8220They don’t seem to have that, ‘I want to work with you,’ attitude.”

Asked about the frequency of Madison’s issuance of such orders, Butler said it had happened but that for one company to be ordered to stop work on that many homes at once was &#8220a little unusual.”

The neighborhood where the homes were under construction is between U.S. 51 and the Natchez Trace Parkway, blocks west of Ross Barnett Reservoir. The homes were to be priced at about $300,000 to $400,000, reports said.