« Environment - Focus on confined feeding continues | Main | Ind. Courts - Location of new Vigo County court causes concern »

Thursday, October 13, 2005

Ind. Law - Allen County rural nuisance codes revised

"Rural nuisance codes revised: Proposal adds exemptions, reduces daily fine to $500" is the headline to this story today in the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette, by Benjamin Lanka. Some quotes:

Allen County is bringing back a plan to regulate how landowners in unincorporated areas maintain properties.

Nine months after the last try, revised property maintenance codes will be presented for public input beginning this month. The commissioners declined to vote on the proposed codes in March, citing concerns that the law wouldn’t exempt current properties or farmland from tighter restrictions. The codes’ purpose is similar to those enforced by Fort Wayne’s Neighborhood Code Enforcement.

The codes would not apply in Fort Wayne, New Haven, Leo-Cedarville, Grabill, Monroeville, Huntertown or other towns in the county.

Dave Fuller, county building commissioner, said the proposed maintenance code has been reviewed by county officials and is ready for public comment. Fuller said the newer version would exempt current homeowners from many of the restrictions

For example, the code requires that windows have screens and kitchens have electrical ground-fault interrupts, but Fuller said it would be unfair to require homeowners to update their homes if they don’t want to. Landlords, however, will be forced to follow the rules on rental properties.

The law would also give the county the authority to keep grass shorter than 10 inches and yards free from debris that could house rodents.

“We’re looking at protecting neighbors’ property values,” Fuller said. He said his office gets a couple of complaints a week regarding nuisance issues, but he has no power to do anything without a law on the books.

Chris Ivancic, president of the Laurel Ridge Neighborhood Association, said he supports the law because it gives the county the ability to eliminate nuisances.

“We have people storing cars in their back yards. It’s ridiculous,” he said. * * * John McGauley, spokesman for the county commissioners, said the code would allow the county to adjust to its increasing urban areas. Farm property is exempted from much of the code.

Here is the Proposed Allen County Property Maintenance Code.

Posted by Marcia Oddi on October 13, 2005 06:58 AM
Posted to Indiana Law