Code Enforcement is a Vital Part of a Beautification Program
In some cases a systematic code enforcement sweep through a neighborhood is just what's needed. The street-by-street windshield survey could identify apparent violations of the property maintenance code, as well as spot weed, derelict cars, and any other potential nuisance. Windshield survey just means that an inspector or researcher drives through a neighborhood, rather than leaving the car and walking around a property. Indications for your local government to inspect every property (almost always exterior only) would include:
1. A relatively large number of complaints. 2. Many cosmetic complaints, such as peeling paint, derelict cars, high weeks, or junk on the porch or in the yard. 3. A mostly rental neighborhood, which might indicate that the actual property owners have more financial capacity than they are exercising. 4. The potential for a viable neighborhood housing stock if cosmetic issues are addressed. By this we mean that the homes are of an adequate size for today's preferences and lot size is adequate for garages and patios or decks, as well as some lawn area. Most towns and cities practice complaint-based code enforcement though, largely for cost reasons. Sometimes the government just isn't willing to take the heat from issuing a good number of code violation letters within the same few weeks, or the municipal court can't handle the volume. If your neighborhood is in trouble, and you feel that property owners can invest--but they aren't doing it--pester your government for a systematic, house-by-house program. Non-residential properties are probably subject to a property maintenance code, and residential property may be covered by a variety of building codes for new construction, or existing housing codes that cover older residences. Most places that have housing codes also have some codes that could be grouped together under the umbrella of nuisance codes. These are the laws on how high your grass can grow, and so forth. Whether systematic or complaint-based, watch your manners with code enforcement folks. Oddly enough, you should be pleasant when you call the office! If you get a reputation there as a whiner, you'll be the boy who cried wolf. On the other hand, if you give good solid leads and officers actually find code violations when they drive out, you improve your chance for a positive response next time. If you want to complain anonymously, most places allow that. However, be sure to give enough detail and a correct address. Lastly, if the code enforcement officer does her or his job, but the municipal judge doesn't, don't blame the inspector. Municipal judges aren't full-time unless you're in a large city and they simply may not have the stake in the neighborhood that you do. If your system isn't working, check to see if the laws themselves are sufficient. And if course if you're in a smaller town and learn there are no codes to cover what's bugging you, then you can become an educator on behalf of adopting standard codes that experts write. As a last resort, your neighborhood or community organization can always try to reason with the property owners themselves. If you choose this route often, appoint a committee that then can develop some expertise in effective approaches to property owners. Return from Code Enforcement to Beautification
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