For this installment of Thursdays with Gabe, I thought I would address one of the most common complaints we hear from the community, which is nuisance properties. The topic is a little more complex than what many might think, so this is just a quick primer on the basics of how our process is set up.
The first step typically involves a complaint from a citizen or neighbor regarding a property. From here, the nuisance is investigated by either the city administrator, police chief, fire chief or building inspector, depending on the nature of the nuisance. If the complaint is considered valid, it will be documented with photos, and a Notice to Abate will be served to the property owner or tenant.
The second step can go one of two ways: Either the nuisance is abated within 10 to 30 days (depending on the nature of the nuisance) by the property owner or tenant, or the grace period of 10 to 30 days expires, and the nuisance is sent to the courts.
If the process goes to court, an initial hearing is scheduled for three weeks after the grace period. If the defendant pleads not guilty, an appearance with the magistrate is scheduled for 20 to 30 days later, where the magistrate will determine if the nuisance is valid, and give the owner a certain amount of time to abate the nuisance. If the owner or tenant fails to abate the nuisance in the given time, the city will be allowed to go in and abate the nuisance and assess the cost to the property taxes.
All in all, the process to abate a nuisance can take anywhere from 10 days to three to four months, with the rare exception taking up to a year to work through the court system. Along with the varied time it can take, each nuisance also costs the city in man-hours and court costs. These costs can be anywhere from a few hundred dollars for a mowing nuisance, to $15,000 to tear down a small house or garage, or upwards of $30,000 to tear down a two-story house with asbestos that needs special abatement.
When it comes to nuisance properties, many people have asked what we can do to help solve the problem. First, I’d like to say that this problem isn’t unique to our town, but a common problem seen all throughout cities large and small. The state even holds special seminars, which city staff has attended, explaining the legal process and avenues to address nuisances.
So, keep an eye out and keep reporting nuisances to the city, and we will keep going through the process of abating them. More importantly though, start having conversations with your neighbors, ask them if they need help fixing their porch or repairing their gutter, and if you can’t help them, reach out to one of our service organizations or churches in town that might be able to help.
We can take care of each other, and many of these problems can be addressed before they are sent to the city and start costing taxpayer money.