Winter has departed and taken with it the snow cover that once concealed the many discarded items, trash, inoperable motor vehicles and unsafe structures in the urban and, to a lesser extent, rural areas of town.
Code Enforcement Officer (CEO) Kevin Tingley recently traveled Houlton’s streets identifying residential properties that are in violation of the town’s Property Maintenance Code. Tingley identified 33 properties where garbage, trash, inoperable motor vehicles and unsafe/unsecured buildings were plainly visible.
Many of the properties identified by Tingley have been in violation of the town’s Property Maintenance Code for a considerable amount of time. If not corrected, these violations impact the value of nearby homes, are unsightly, could attract rodents or other pests and may pose a hazard to children.
Some of the buildings the CEO observed had roofs that were collapsing and/or were vacant with windows missing or unsecured doors. Many properties had a number of inoperable vehicles on them.
Voluntary compliance of the Property Maintenance Code is always preferred but in some cases action by the Code Enforcement Officer becomes necessary. The process typically followed by Code Enforcement for handling violations is as follows:
– A first “Notice of Violation” is mailed to the property owner. The notice will specify what the violation is and the amount of time the owner has to correct it.
– If the problem has not been remedied, a second notice will be issued followed by a third and final notice.
If the violation has not been corrected to the satisfaction of the CEO, the problem is then referred to the town’s attorney who starts the legal process to have the matter heard before a judge. The property owner can be ordered to pay a fine, may be held accountable for the town’s legal expenses and be responsible for any other costs incurred.
The notices should never be taken lightly and prompt action is recommended.
The CEO identified eight properties which are in violation of Section 308.1 which states, “All exterior property and premises and the interior of every structure, shall be free from any accumulation of rubbish or garbage”.
Furthermore, the CEO noted that there were 25 properties in violation of Section 302.8 which states, “Except as provided for in other regulations, no inoperative or unlicensed motor vehicle shall be parked, kept or stored on any premises, and no vehicle shall be at any time be in a state of major disassembly, disrepair, or in the process of being stripped or dismantled. Painting of vehicles is prohibited unless conducted inside an approved spray booth. Exception: A vehicle of any type is permitted to undergo major overhaul, including body work, provided that such work is performed inside a structure or similarly enclosed area designed and approved for such purposes.”
The CEO also found 10 properties that had structures on them that were in an unsafe condition due to collapsing roofs or foundations. Section 108.1.5 states, “For the purpose of this code, any structure or premises that has any or all of the conditions or defects described below shall be considered dangerous:
– The building or structure, or part of the building or structure, because of dilapidation, deterioration, decay, faulty construction, the removal or movement of some portion of the ground necessary for the support, or for any other reason, is likely to partially or completely collapse, or some portion of the foundation or underpinning of the building or structure is likely to fail or give way.
– The building or structure, or any portion thereof, is clearly unsafe for its use and occupancy.
The building or structure is neglected, damaged, dilapidated, unsecured or abandoned so as to become an attractive nuisance to children who might play in the building or structure to their danger, becomes a harbor for vagrants, criminals or immoral persons, or enables persons to resort to the building or structure for committing a nuisance or an unlawful act.
The town’s intent is not to be punitive but rather to make our neighborhoods attractive, safe and appealing to our neighbors and visitors.
Rather than take code violations to court, the town would prefer voluntary compliance. The town is willing to work with any property owner to correct an issue so please contact the Code Enforcement Officer at 532-7111.
