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Enforcement 👮 Best practices for zoning enforcement?

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ryan.smith21

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Hello, our city is reviewing our policies towards zoning enforcement, which includes everything from parking in the yard, junk and abandoned vehicles, and dilapidated fences to land use issues such as businesses operating in residential areas. Currently we send a letter and then a series of tickets. If unpaid the tickets go to court and can go to collections, but if that doesn't work the process starts over again. We have a lot of issues with efficacy, people simply ignoring the tickets or paying them and just going on with what they're doing. Any thoughts on best practices are appreciated, I'm not seeing a lot on APA's website. Thanks.
 
Obviously, it depends on your state laws and what you can and can't do, but we right a citation, give the person 45 days or a reasonable time to correct it and if it's not corrected, we go to court and have the court demand they correct it. If you don't correct it for the court, I believe it goes to a contempt citation. We also can just clear the problem ourselves like large junk yards, etc. We just hire a company to do the work, pay them, and then put a lien on the property. That also requires a court order though.

For fines, there is usually one attached to the ticket or if it's unpermitted work we attach it to the permit that will be needed.
 
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