Code is out enmasse in Springfield this week. I counted 4 Code officers out today and documented at least 40 citations including the kids garden whose only over grown piece of vegetation is a head of lettuce that bolted because of the recent heat. This is a targeted effort on Code's part. The citations I photographed were all basically on 2-3 streets in Springfield and many of the citations are for barely overgrown grass. One lot that was well kept had a tire in the rear that it was cited for! Fines like this can add up just like demo fines.
I don't know how to post pictures or I would. I have over 40 pictures and pictures of the 4 officers with their car tags.
The Kids Garden is pure harassment.
wow .... just wow ???
To upload photos go to:
http://imgur.com/
and upload the photos.
Once uploaded select "BB code" on the right and paste that in. It will look like (http://imgur.com/somefile)
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What's going on? Has this happened before? Is it an end of the month thing for quotas?
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Is question who assigned them today, I have seen that garden get yellow warnings before. Someone obviously doesn't like the "community garden" concept.
Sounds like a dramatic waste of taxpayer dollars.
The kids garden has never received a citation before. But when you couple it with all of these other citations, all within blocks of each other, there is OBVIOUSLY some targeting going on
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Wonder when they will start code enforcement on visitors? Whenever I attend a community related event in Springfield (by invitation) I get asked "What are YOU doing here?" Reminds me of "The Californians" skit on SNL
This a a GROSS waste of tax payer dollars!
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Do these carry dollar fines, or are they warnings, or what?
these are typically warnings, but they can become $ fines up to $250/day per violation, and up to $500/day per property.
What is the ultimate goal for the Code people?
Sticks and stones may break our bones but yellow stickers will never stop us
If it is for trash or high grass, they will and can just do it for you and bill you and lien the property. As they can not easily use NSP funding (they got $400K of it) for demolition anymore, all they have for this zip code is land clearance and grass cutting to use it on. This is a shot gun approach to try to get enough people not doing it themselves to send the subs they have promised work to out to do it.
The other side is blowback from PSOS and others attacking code over improper use of funds, not following the laws themselves and making noise about Ms Scott being promoted.
Of course, it also could be simply MCC stroking their own egos as they seem to like to do that. "Look at me, look how much power I have over you" type thing. Just what a city wants it's public employees doing to it's tax payers. OK, maybe Jacksonville wants that...
Amanda, can you please either post the addresses that correspond with each photo, or send them to me via email? Some of the notices reference back yards - I want to know whether those areas are visible from the roadway.
I agree with Strider in that I think this is retaliation for PSOS' vocal opposition to Kim Scott's promotion and Code Enforcement practices.
Kim
Dad texted me all day about the activity on Ionia.
Code got into a confrontation with a neighbor across the street.
Cited for an unregistered car in the back yard that he could "see from the street."
Dude lost it Dad said. I understand why.
I've had to have dad circle for the last two days and check all the properties.
Occupied homes were tagged as equally as vacant homes, probably more so.
Dad sat on the porch most of the day.
Protecting from trespassers.
Just was informed (got a letter in the mail) that I have to remove or replace a chain link fence at one of the houses. A fence that is decades old mind you.
They are grandfathered in. No you don't.
I guess Kim Scott reads MJ and not too happy. Of course she deserves all of the negativity.
Quote from: iloveionia on March 28, 2014, 06:31:25 PM
Dad texted me all day about the activity on Ionia.
Code got into a confrontation with a neighbor across the street.
Cited for an unregistered car in the back yard that he could "see from the street."
Dude lost it Dad said. I understand why.
I've had to have dad circle for the last two days and check all the properties.
Occupied homes were tagged as equally as vacant homes, probably more so.
Dad sat on the porch most of the day.
Protecting from trespassers.
Just was informed (got a letter in the mail) that I have to remove or replace a chain link fence at one of the houses. A fence that is decades old mind you.
Who sent that letter? MCC or the Historic Department? To be honest, they can't truly enforce ANYONE from having a chain link fence let alone force a home owner to change one out.
And yes, most likely Ms Scott showing us what she is really made of.
Letter from Kennelly.
Quote from: iloveionia on March 28, 2014, 08:08:47 PM
Letter from Kennelly.
Nope, they can't make you remove it. You can show it's been there for years and like others have said, the fence is grandfathered in. I reckon if this is part of the Operation Urban Blight program, I can expect to receive similar letters for my two houses with chainlink fences. Heck, if I removed the fences, what would Code Enforcement tape their yellow placards to?
Quote from: IrvAdams on March 28, 2014, 04:46:19 PM
What is the ultimate goal for the Code people?
To help sustain their own need for existence by writing frivolous fines??
Heavens forbid some of the people who live here get "told" they need to tighten up their properties. New Springfielders got them too. Trust me, for every one head of bolted lettuce, there were 10 weeds growing on stairs, trash accumulating, paint peeling. I applaud the efforts. A certified letter is sent to the property owner and a 15 day period to correct the problem or risk getting fined starts. 15 days is over 2 weeks. Plenty of time to pull that lettuce, paint that railing, pick up that garbage. It has made a no ticable difference in the area I live. BTW, I got one, too.
^^Do you get them often, or do they do occasional 'sweeps' for various areas/blocks?
I think the consternation here is with the volume and rapidity of this rather intense canvassing of a target area and the detail level of the 'infractions'. When you look this closely, couldn't essentially any property anywhere be tagged at the sole discretion of the code employee?
It seems rather like fulfilling a whim than a real noticeable nuisance or violation.
Really twojacks? Seriously??? You applaud harassment??? You "live" here??? Seriously???
In addition to harassing a KIDS Garden (which was actually just cleaned and mowed last weekend to prep for the Spring Program, which has received over $30K in grant money, so its definitely a neighborhood positive) they also tagged my lot I noticed later on - this isn't blight??? There are two garden beds on the lot, which incidentally we just had filled yesterday evening, that's all that is there!
15 days for me to "tighten" up what???? The lot is EMPTY beside two garden beds build out of cedar! (BTW I dont need to be told that 15 days is over two weeks.)
The city of Jacksonville is its own worst enemy. I sorely REGRET my vote in the last Mayor's election and I regret even more that the other candidate was worse. That is really all this city has?? ANYONE who supports this kind of harassment within a two block radius (more than 40 citations!!!) isn't a public servant and Kim Scott's hands are all over this. PROMOTING her to a higher position would be evidence of incompetence on the Mayor's part. She has overseen the mis-use of federal funds and this is her way of getting back at Springfield for highlighting it. PROMOTING her to a higher position would be evidence of incompetence on the Mayor's part
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While I am very sure that there was some legitimate citations issued, it is painfully obvious that this is both blow back and an attempt at spending some of that $400K of NSP3 funds that have sitting around. Of course there are folks who do not cut there grass often enough. Of course there are abandoned lots and buildings that the city can and should maintain in some fashion to the betterment of the neighborhood. But a few higher weeds around a perimeter of a fence, a chain link fence that is indeed grandfathered in, six tall wild flowers (AKA weeds) in the middle of a yard; these types of citations are nothing but harassment and are a favored tactic of Ms Scott's and Mr Prado's. It feeds their egos to know that are spreading the misery to others.
Unless EVERY chain link fence received a citation, it is nonsense. Unless EVERY yard with a few higher weeds received a citation is it nonsense. Some people were indeed targeted (yes, everyone even at the top of MCC knows who some of us are) and mostly, various locations were targeted because they are easy targets to spend that funding.
Is this the desired actions of a competent department head or is it the fumbling antics of an over promoted fool? I think the latter.
http://members.jacksonville.com/opinion/premium-opinion/2014-01-14/story/long-term-challenges-fighting-urban-blight
Our house was coded and we live here and take care of our house and yard. Thanks for the nice picture though! I guess the neighborhood is unsightly to Code Enforcement. What a waste of MY and YOUR tax dollars. These guys need to figure out how to get to the people who really don't take care of their property and get them-not those of us who do take care of our homes and yards.
One of the houses that was cited for "not boarded properly" they boarded themselves and placed a lien on it for the work done.
The one for "limbs in the back yard" or something along those lines, really reaching.
Course they pick Ionia, a street of many long time residents with limited income, and more vacant lots than any other street due to the excessive demos.
I walked through the area last night and what they did is ridiculous. They tagged well maintained empty lots and since it rained the signs are now strewn about.
QuoteThe city of Jacksonville is its own worst enemy. I sorely REGRET my vote in the last Mayor's election and I regret even more that the other candidate was worse. That is really all this city has?? ANYONE who supports this kind of harassment within a two block radius (more than 40 citations!!!) isn't a public servant and Kim Scott's hands are all over this. PROMOTING her to a higher position would be evidence of incompetence on the Mayor's part. She has overseen the mis-use of federal funds and this is her way of getting back at Springfield for highlighting it. PROMOTING her to a higher position would be evidence of incompetence on the Mayor's part
LOL, I'm with Alvin! How duped were the people who got him elected? All because they were afraid of the GOB mentality, goes to show you that the only change that occurred was the color of the person elected, the machine stayed the same.
If you want real change, you need to throw out all the crap in the city and start over. Planning and Development is worse than it was under Peyton. They constantly lose plans between themselves, the fire marshall's office and zoning. Its a wonder they can tie their own shoes. How prepared are they for when the economy REALLY starts humming along and they are crushed with permits and projects? Jacksonville won't be able to get out of its OWN way then, for sure!
from an email thread on DART funding, we found this in an email from Kim Scott to her boss dated Aug 2013:
"At this rate, MCCD will have no funding, excluding lien revenue utilized by regular nuisance abatement (cutting/clearing) to support board-ups and demolitions in the City of Jacksonville."
To see the entire email thread go here: (reply 24)
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/forum/index.php/topic,20164.new.html#new
Yes, this is the crux of it all. Again, this was targeted by MCCD. It is an abuse of power and a waste of tax money that we all pay. We pay their salaries - they work for us. The MCCD office in Jax is run by utter incompetence. The code is written for certain protections - not bolted lettuce in grant funded Kids Gardens or grass in the yards of citizens that are just starting to grow as the cold season breaks. The lack of common sense and the waste of TAX MONEY and the waste of FEDERAL MONEY is grounds for release - not promotion!!!
My neighbor was cited, and NONE of his grass was as high as the citation said.
An east Springfield woman received a notice last Thursday for trash in her yard --debris she is cleaning up from a fire which recently destroyed her home. She is working in getting estimates from contractors and slowly cleaning up the interior.
So imagine her surprise when contractors hired by code enforcement began cleaning up the yard. And to do so, they knocked down a portion of her fence to get the equipment in.
She called JSO. Three cars showed up.
After much heated discussion, the contractors and the city left, but not before returning a wheelbarrow full of trash to her front yard.
"The letter said I had 15 days and I only received it last Thursday!" she said.
As the contractors drove off she yelled after them "I"M NOT PAYING FOR THIS"
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She said "it wasn't the greatest fence, but it is MY fence."
The city needs to pay for the damage to the fence, that's for sure. This vendetta via citations is ridiculous, and without a doubt is the work of Kim Scott and her team of spiteful morons. Mayor Brown is a disgrace, which is evidenced by wanting to promote Scott into a higher position, the very department head that misused federal funds and blatantly shows her vindictive side.
Quote from: twojacks
Heavens forbid some of the people who live here get "told" they need to tighten up their properties. New Springfielders got them too. Trust me, for every one head of bolted lettuce, there were 10 weeds growing on stairs, trash accumulating, paint peeling. I applaud the efforts. A certified letter is sent to the property owner and a 15 day period to correct the problem or risk getting fined starts. 15 days is over 2 weeks. Plenty of time to pull that lettuce, paint that railing, pick up that garbage. It has made a no ticable difference in the area I live. BTW, I got one, too.
Really? Kim Scott's code enforcement and her bulldozing frenzy have left gaping holes within the neighborhood, aka lots where historic houses once stood. Instead of having code enforcement do what they are supposed to do, including mothballing homes, she'd rather triple the costs and use funds illegally to take them down. The city owns many of these lots and does not mow them. Yet they continually harass those who are fighting to make the neighborhood a better place.
When's the last time you mowed something than your own yard? When's the last time you walked further than your own yard and picked up trash? People with the mindset you speak with, are not neighbors, they're part of the problem
Lettuce can't be 'overgrown'. It is doing what it does naturally, and that is produce flowers, for reproduction. I am sure the IFAS extension office would be happy to clue them in.
I am most sure this is retribution and harassment at its finest.
They should cite the city for all of their properties that are not properly kept?
COJ code enforcement has always sucked. they have always been out of control. Oh and, they are asshole. Right Joel and Martin
Really, 2 weeks ago the citations were issued. Now, when nothing has been done to abate the cited condition, you're incensed they follow through and decide to clean up the mess they cited two weeks ago. Vendetta?? I understand that historically code enforcement has played the villon role and buldozed houses (not homes). That's not the fight today, but know that the citations are not just written in the Springfield Historic District. Oh, the cleverness!!! they write the all over just to conceal their targeting efforts.
I believe this was a result of the Mayor's latest anti-blight initiative. It is, like all things done by MCC in the urban core, misguided as it is punitive based rather than trying to be positive in any way. They had MCC officers, being paid by us tax payers, drive around in cars paid by us taxpayers, and write official violations that must be properly followed up on at a great expense, all paid by us taxpayers.
It seems to me that this type of initiative would not only be embraced by everyone, it would have been more successful if they had printed up special flyers and gently reminded everyone that it was time to cut the grass, pick up yards and reign in that wayward head of lettuce. The result would have been most would have complied and the few that didn't could have then been written up that two weeks later. This way would have saved the city tax dollars, not alienated citizens and started MCC down a path of being helpful to the city, not just hindering progress at every turn. Unfortunately, that is not how the management at MCC wants to be, helpful, they are very much into the hindering ways of doing things.
Some of us keep hoping that will change. Some of us want new management at these departments so that they can actually start helping the city rather than mowing it down. The recent actions by MCC officers, often writing up proprieties that were in that gray area, issuing official citations that cost us tax payers thousands upon thousands of dollars just to monitor and properly process is a symptom of a much larger issue that includes the illegal use of funds, the ignoring of laws and the tramping of tax payer rights on the part of the department chief and upper management.
Is it too much to simply want a MCC in this city the helps not hinders?
Amanda will be on first coast news tonight at 11:00.
Quote
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Hundreds of homes are getting cited by code enforcement under Jacksonville's Operation Urban Blight program.
The city says the code enforcement is part of the ongoing program that began in July 2013. Code enforcement has been visiting several zip codes including the Northside area of Jacksonville, Riverside and Springfield to clean up the city. Downtown is next.
Some residents, like Amanda Searle in Springfield, say they've seen an increase in citations in Springfield and they think it's getting out of hand
...more
http://www.firstcoastnews.com/story/news/2014/04/04/homes-cited-code-enforcement-operation-blight/7333787/
Initiatives like this cost tax payer dollars to do. Extra funds for car usage, employee time and then all the associated paperwork and follow up required for those additional citations issued. Then of course, there is the cost of grass cutting or land clearance if no one takes care of the cited issues themselves. The city has contractors just waiting for that and the charges are normally pretty lucrative for those contractors.
How is Jacksonville Paying for this? Is it those NSP3 funds? MCC got $400,000.00 for this type of blight removal, perhaps this initiative is how they are spending it. NSP3 is restricted to certain zip codes. Are those the same zip codes as being targeted with this sweep?
Here is the news story. The reporter pulled the data and 400 citations were issued in Springfield during that time! http://www.firstcoastnews.com/story/news/2014/04/04/homes-cited-code-enforcement-operation-blight/7333787/
The email that I sent to City Council lays out the issues with funding strider:
"I am writing to follow up on the Ad Hoc Committee Meeting on Blight and the abuse of this program by the Code Enforcement Department.
As I and other residents stated yesterday, over 40 Notices were delivered last Friday in a 4 block radius for inaccurate code violations. In the past two weeks over 100 of these have been delivered in the Springfield Historic District. As I stated yesterday, I walked my 4 block area and documented each of the Notices and what the violation was and most of them were for "nuisance vegetation exceeding 15 inches over a majority of the parcel." - which was NOT TRUE in most cases. Case in point, I am attaching two pictures of my own parcel that was noticed for "nuisance vegetation exceeding 15 inches over a majority of the parcel, or untended growth or weeds, grass, underbrush, or undergrowth, or other noxious vegetation" and "garbage, rubbish, and/or debris." (at least I assume it was intended for my parcel, as that is where it was attached although the RE number isn't in existence). One picture was taken the day we were cited and the other picture was taken the day our regular landscaping crew finished. As CM Crescimbeni noted, its difficult to tell the difference between the two. This is true for many of these parcels that received Notices. Not to mention we are the process of completing our second home renovation (increasing the tax base) and have an open permit, something the Code officer could easily have looked up.
The Kids Garden was also Noticed for the tires that the kids decorated to use as flower planters.
I understand that I can pay $10 and appeal my case before the Magistrate and that I have a good case for getting it removed, as CM Love pointed out. However, I would like to point out to you, as you consider this tactic for your "blight" committee, that for the city to go around giving out Notices that are really not violations and forcing tax paying citizens to contest these matters before a Magistrate and pay $10 is really harassment on the City's part and a way to line the City's pockets. $10 is not a lot, but when 40 citizens in a 4 block radius have to go before the Magistrate to contest an inaccurate violation then that adds up for the City pretty quickly, especially when spread all over the city as Code states they are going to do. Not to mention all of the wasted tax payer money on man hours involved to pursue these bogus cases.
CM Boyer thanked us for bringing our concerns before the Committee so that the Committee can find solutions to things that may not be working. Perhaps, each $10 fee should be returned to the citizen if the citizen wins the appeal? This would be an incentive for Code Enforcement to focus on REAL BLIGHT, cases they can win, which is the purpose of the program. The UNF students made a point in their presentation yesterday that Code Enforcement is part of the cure for blight, but they accurately described it as EFFECTIVE Code Enforcement. Our community is now peppered with lose yellow notices, in the gutters, in the easements - the city has created visual blight in its reckless, harassing behavior.
I understand that Code Enforcement is losing a portion of its budget from DART money via Jax Journey. I am attaching an email from Kim Scott. I would like to direct your attention to page two where Kim Scott states: "At this rate, MCCD will have no funding, excluding lien revenue utilized by regular nuisance abatement (cutting/cleaning) to support board ups and demolitions." We learned in the meeting yesterday of the effort ramp up employment of the Mowing Division. Could this be an effort to start exercising more liens? Is Code Enforcement using the guise of your Committee's fight against blight to generate revenue for demolishing homes in our National Historic District?? Again, this is harassment on the part of the city and needs to be investigated.
I am not the only tax paying citizen in Springfield upset by this. We regret the fact that we will be forced to help organize those citizens that were involved. We are all very busy with our revitalization efforts and our careers but it seems the only way to make our voices heard is to collectively come before you to stop this abuse of your Blight Initiative."
Here are the attachments to that email
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you all talk a big game but I have to laugh...Kim Scott is up for re-appointment, I bet none of you show up in council chambers to speak let alone complain.
You'll blog here but who, if any will at least write Council Reps?
Hhmmmm?
2014-215
RESO Conf Appt of Kimberly Scott as Director of Regulatory Compliance Dept. (McCain) (Req of Mayor)
1. 3/25/2014 CO Introduced: R
3/31/2014 R Read 2nd & Rerefer
Quote from: Sunbeam on April 05, 2014, 08:06:53 PM
you all talk a big game but I have to laugh...Kim Scott is up for re-appointment, I bet none of you show up in council chambers to speak let alone complain.
You'll blog here but who, if any will at least write Council Reps?
Hhmmmm?
2014-215
RESO Conf Appt of Kimberly Scott as Director of Regulatory Compliance Dept. (McCain) (Req of Mayor)
1. 3/25/2014 CO Introduced: R
3/31/2014 R Read 2nd & Rerefer
Hahahaha. Good one
Watch the video of the rules committee meeting.
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/forum/index.php/topic,21091.0.html
Accuse us of many things if you'd like, but NEVER of inaction. 8)
Quote from: sheclown on April 06, 2014, 07:51:38 AM
Quote from: Sunbeam on April 05, 2014, 08:06:53 PM
you all talk a big game but I have to laugh...Kim Scott is up for re-appointment, I bet none of you show up in council chambers to speak let alone complain.
You'll blog here but who, if any will at least write Council Reps?
Hhmmmm?
2014-215
RESO Conf Appt of Kimberly Scott as Director of Regulatory Compliance Dept. (McCain) (Req of Mayor)
1. 3/25/2014 CO Introduced: R
3/31/2014 R Read 2nd & Rerefer
Hahahaha. Good one
Watch the video of the rules committee meeting.
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/forum/index.php/topic,21091.0.html
Accuse us of many things if you'd like, but NEVER of inaction. 8)
That really did make me laugh! Sunbeam, Preservation SOS has been writing to City Council members and speaking at City Council and appropriate sub-committee meetings for a very long time. At one meeting in June 2013, I actually called for Kim Scott's dismissal for the mis-use of Federal funds in demolishing historic structures. Sheclown is right.....there is NEVER inaction on the part of Preservation SOS. :)
And in case you want to simply view our comments at last week's Rules Committee meeting, here's a direct link to the meeting video. Fast forward to about 25 minutes in...(although I would encourage you to read the entire thread sheclown provided - a lot of good information).
http://media.coj.net/City_Council/Rules_3-31-14.wmv (http://media.coj.net/City_Council/Rules_3-31-14.wmv)
I don't understand a city at battle with its own neighborhoods, especially its most distinctive ones. It's sticking its own head in the guillotine. "What could possibly go wrong?"
Quote from: Scrub Palmetto on April 06, 2014, 08:09:26 PM
I don't understand a city at battle with its own neighborhoods, especially its most distinctive ones. It's sticking its own head in the guillotine. "What could possibly go wrong?"
There's a lot of us asking the same questions.... :-[
Quote from: Sunbeam on April 05, 2014, 08:06:53 PM
you all talk a big game but I have to laugh...Kim Scott is up for re-appointment, I bet none of you show up in council chambers to speak let alone complain.
You'll blog here but who, if any will at least write Council Reps?
Hhmmmm?
2014-215
RESO Conf Appt of Kimberly Scott as Director of Regulatory Compliance Dept. (McCain) (Req of Mayor)
1. 3/25/2014 CO Introduced: R
3/31/2014 R Read 2nd & Rerefer
you must be new one here? Because what you just said is ridiculous.
Something else that needs to be really examined is all the money wasted in citing ridiculous nuisance items that are most likely to be won on appeal. The city has to send out certified letters to each citation recipient. That cost is a little over $5, I believe. The reporter in the link above reported that there were over 400 citations issued in Springfield in that brief time. That is A LOT of tax money wasted on people who never should have been cited in the first place.
Quote from: avs on April 07, 2014, 09:43:17 AM
Something else that needs to be really examined is all the money wasted in citing ridiculous nuisance items that are most likely to be won on appeal. The city has to send out certified letters to each citation recipient. That cost is a little over $5, I believe. The reporter in the link above reported that there were over 400 citations issued in Springfield in that brief time. That is A LOT of tax money wasted on people who never should have been cited in the first place.
And wasting city gas money, and wages, and employee's time when they could hopefully be doing something more useful.
I'm still laughing at what Sunbeam said. Who's going to show up or email. Not upset. I'm ROFL.
Local neighborhood questions citations for blight
http://www.actionnewsjax.com/mostpopular/story/Local-neighborhood-questions-citations-for-blight/8hNJEkugv0KISH998UusnA.cspx
Over 40 Notices in a 4block radius. 4 code officers in a 4 block radius. Each Notice also gets a ~$5+ postage certified letter. I think the news lady said there were around 400 Notices in that time period. The postage and man hours are sure a waste of tax payer money. Our side yard received one and a supervisor dismissed it and said it never should have received one. How many other Notices never should have been issued? How much additional money was wasted. And continues to be...?
All those Notices became litter in the gutters. Nice
Quote from: sheclown on March 31, 2014, 05:56:10 PM
An east Springfield woman received a notice last Thursday for trash in her yard --debris she is cleaning up from a fire which recently destroyed her home. She is working in getting estimates from contractors and slowly cleaning up the interior.
So imagine her surprise when contractors hired by code enforcement began cleaning up the yard. And to do so, they knocked down a portion of her fence to get the equipment in.
She called JSO. Three cars showed up.
After much heated discussion, the contractors and the city left, but not before returning a wheelbarrow full of trash to her front yard.
"The letter said I had 15 days and I only received it last Thursday!" she said.
As the contractors drove off she yelled after them "I"M NOT PAYING FOR THIS"
(http://i1098.photobucket.com/albums/g374/sheclown2/darcel1.jpg) (http://s1098.photobucket.com/user/sheclown2/media/darcel1.jpg.html)
Dercel's house in on the blight demo list just sent out for bid. Needless to say, this is news to her.