City Housing Inspector is Picking on Me!

[JohnSteed]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)?

 

[Zigner]

You didn't ask a question. But, requiring somebody to follow applicable laws is not "picking on" that someone.

 

[JohnSteed]

Question

You didn't ask a question. But, requiring somebody to follow applicable laws is not "picking on" that someone.

Thanks for the reply, Zigner! Good point - I guess I did not ask my questions: First: How do I win this case against the city? It seems the odds are always stacked in the inspector's favor. He has the prosecuter on his side, he has experience in knowing the types of replies the judge will or will not accept, he can show photos, and he is also very devious. Second: How do I get these guys from coming around with their sting operation, hitting me with a bundle of summons each year? Last year they nearly bankrupted me. With their long list of laws, they can pretty much close down any house in the town! Once they get started, they don't let back. They will pick on me yet the house next door can be in worse condition and they leave that guy alone. My houses are in pretty decent shape and well cared for.

Regarding why I feel they are picking on me: Why do they need to take me to court when they find a problem? Why can't they just give me a call and ask me to correct the problem? I thought courts were meant to settle disputes - not to punish me by making me take a day off to attend their trial circus.

Thanks again!

 

[sandyclaus]

Thanks for the reply, Zigner! Good point - I guess I did not ask my questions: First: How do I win this case against the city? It seems the odds are always stacked in the inspector's favor. He has the prosecuter on his side, he has experience in knowing the types of replies the judge will or will not accept, he can show photos, and he is also very devious. Second: How do I get these guys from coming around with their sting operation, hitting me with a bundle of summons each year? Last year they nearly bankrupted me. With their long list of laws, they can pretty much close down any house in the town! Once they get started, they don't let back. They will pick on me yet the house next door can be in worse condition and they leave that guy alone. My houses are in pretty decent shape and well cared for.

Regarding why I feel they are picking on me: Why do they need to take me to court when they find a problem? Why can't they just give me a call and ask me to correct the problem? I thought courts were meant to settle disputes - not to punish me by making me take a day off to attend their trial circus.

Thanks again!

Oh, poor you. If you have so many housing violations, then it really is a matter of time before the inspectors cite you. And if they are valid citations against your many houses, then you really have no basis for complaining, do you? And if these are rental properties that have issues, of course, YOU don't have to deal with those problems - but your tenants DO.

It seems they are always "picking on you" because you seem to have so many deficiencies (since they keep hitting you with so many summonses every year). When you continue to have issues and don't take care of them, then of course they are going to take you to court - to remind you of your responsibilities and enforce them in a way you can't easily ignore.

There is a simple and obvious solution here - fix up your houses so that there are no housing violations. No housing violations means that the city inspectors will no longer have any reason to "pick" on you.

 

[JohnSteed]

Oh, poor you. If you have so many housing violations, then it really is a matter of time before the inspectors cite you. And if they are valid citations against your many houses, then you really have no basis for complaining, do you? And if these are rental properties that have issues, of course, YOU don't have to deal with those problems - but your tenants DO.

It seems they are always "picking on you" because you seem to have so many deficiencies (since they keep hitting you with so many summonses every year). When you continue to have issues and don't take care of them, then of course they are going to take you to court - to remind you of your responsibilities and enforce them in a way you can't easily ignore.

There is a simple and obvious solution here - fix up your houses so that there are no housing violations. No housing violations means that the city inspectors will no longer have any reason to "pick" on you.

??? Thanks for the reply sandyclaus! You sure know how to make a new member of this forum feel welcome!

I think I explained fairly clearly that I do NOT have a lot of violations on my houses and that the houses are kept up well. The inspector decided to come around during a major renovation to stir up trouble. I am not a slumlord! Ah forget it....I didn't have much hope to get a good answer here anyway.....

 

[sandyclaus]

??? Thanks for the reply sandyclaus! You sure know how to make a new member of this forum feel welcome!

I think I explained fairly clearly that I do NOT have a lot of violations on my houses and that the houses are kept up well. The inspector decided to come around during a major renovation to stir up trouble. I am not a slumlord! Ah forget it....I didn't have much hope to get a good answer here anyway.....

I stick with my original response. If there are no violations to be written up, then the housing inspectors have no reason to keep writing up summonses and dragging you into court.

I'm all for fighting for the little guy and against obvious abuse of power. But if these inspectors keep coming back, and keep writing up violations and sending you summonses to appear in court to answer for them, then there is a reason they do - and you must not be quite as innocent and blameless as you would have us believe. And we here in this forum are not so much the fools you might take us for.

 

[FarmerJ]

DO you understand that its not un common for city inspectors to go after Landlords with a vengance ? citys can and do hold rental unit owners to a higher standard because its a business. Now it doesnt matter if a neighbor who is owner occupant lives in a dump , the city can only make that owner occupant follow codes pertaining to the outside of the house. They can be refused entry by owner occupant but with rentals if they are refused access they typically take away rental license. Its a two fold thing for citys , since some LLs really are not up to code even if property appears to be in good shape. Some city councils actually are supportive / tolerant of going after the big bad evil landlord , all you can do is keep them at bay and stay up on so called code compliance. AND your free to argue with them when you can prove they have overstepped their authority. ( you must have hard proof)

 

[ecmst12]

If you're renovating, then it's the inspector's job to inspect during the process and make sure code is being followed from the ground up. It's part of the permitting process.

 

[startedone]

I wonder what Emma Peel would do in this situation?

 

[OHRoadwarrior]

The difference between one of your houses and the neighbors, is the neighbor is living in his. You are letting others live in yours.

 

[sandyclaus]

The difference between one of your houses and the neighbors, is the neighbor is living in his. You are letting others live in yours.

Precisely. The requirement is higher when you are earning income from a property, because you have a duty to maintain your rental properties.

Hey, if you were living there, you would probably not be seeing the inspector quite as much. In fact, you would PROBABLY maintain the property better if you were living there.