Mesa hitting slow-poke code violators in the wallet
Devin Hicks
The Arizona Republic
Jul. 13, 2007 11:30 AM
If your home is an eyesore for too long, it's going to cost you.
Mesa's Code Compliance Division is rolling out a provision that will penalize code violators who require multiple inspections of their home.
The Cost Recovery Program goes into effect Aug. 1, and adds fees on top of citations for additional visits by code officers.
Ray Villa, acting Neighborhood Services director, said the program will help recover the costs of drawn-out investigations.
Currently, notices are sent to code violators reported by a third party or observed by a code officer. The notice gives violators seven days to fix the problem before a code officer comes out to inspect. Violations range from overgrown weeds to cars parked on lawns, Villa said. If the violation hasn't been resolved, a re-inspection is ordered in 10 days and the resident faces a citation and possible fine.
Under the new program, if the violation exists after the re-inspection, there will be a $200 fee. There is an additional $100 fee for every failed inspection after that on top of any fines.
Villa said there have been situations where a code officer has had to spend more than a year investigating a case.
Devin Hicks
The Arizona Republic
Jul. 13, 2007 11:30 AM
If your home is an eyesore for too long, it's going to cost you.
Mesa's Code Compliance Division is rolling out a provision that will penalize code violators who require multiple inspections of their home.
The Cost Recovery Program goes into effect Aug. 1, and adds fees on top of citations for additional visits by code officers.
Ray Villa, acting Neighborhood Services director, said the program will help recover the costs of drawn-out investigations.
Currently, notices are sent to code violators reported by a third party or observed by a code officer. The notice gives violators seven days to fix the problem before a code officer comes out to inspect. Violations range from overgrown weeds to cars parked on lawns, Villa said. If the violation hasn't been resolved, a re-inspection is ordered in 10 days and the resident faces a citation and possible fine.
Under the new program, if the violation exists after the re-inspection, there will be a $200 fee. There is an additional $100 fee for every failed inspection after that on top of any fines.
Villa said there have been situations where a code officer has had to spend more than a year investigating a case.
