Code enforcement hits community garden?

[avs]

Again, get the whole story, read the whole thread.

IloveIonia and I went over and spoke to the owner yesterday.  He is a very nice guy.  He has had medical issues lately.  He was doing work on the house and code told him he wasn't moving fast enough and they started fining him $50/day so he basically gave up.  The trash is being thrown in the yard by a previous employee who is kind of crazy.  The owner has discussed it with the police.  A neighbor has seen the previous employee throw the trash in the yard really quickly then run down the street.

The home owner isn't littering his trash. He is a neighbor trying to deal with a vandal.

[sheclown]

Why is this important?  Why does it matter to this neighborhood, or this city, that the government forces its way onto a property to, in essence, "take" it.  Don't be fooled, that is what is happening here.  Code is building a case against this house to fine it, to take property away from the owner.  And why?  To save it?  Heavens no. 

To justify its (the government's) existence.  We know where this house will end.  It will be rewarded to some demo contractor who has behaved himself and needs a cookie.

Gobble, it eats more of its precious historic stock every day.  Gobble.

[sheclown]

1626 Ionia -- today

this is a house with a rich MJ history:

http://www.metrojacksonville.com/forum/index.php/topic,9227.0.html

[strider]

1626 Ionia -- today

this is a house with a rich MJ history:

http://www.metrojacksonville.com/forum/index.php/topic,9227.0.html

It should be noted that the current owners have done a great job in repairing the carriage house.  And they will do the same thing for the main house.,  If MCCD lets them.  If they do not fine them because they are moving to slow or if they are allowed the real time it takes to do it.  If MCCD leaves them alone and does not break their spirit so that they give up and move to the 'burbs.

By and by, the guy from code was not at the carriage house delivering a thank you card for fixing the carriage house, he was there about fining the main house....

[sheclown]

a friend made this  CARE request a little while ago:

[uptowngirl]

Let me just add, that if you go two blocks in ANY direction outside the Historic District there is worse! Much, Much worse that is not ticketed, not written up, not even looked at by code. How many CEs are there for the city? How could TWO be at the same house in Springfield- one breaking in and trespassing, the other "just driving by" (his own words). Do we have THAT many CEs that TWO happened to be on the same block at the same time, in a neighborhood that is roughly one square mile? If we do they need to cut the staff and use the funds for VICE as there are only like seven or eight of them for all of Duval county. Nope, Strider has it right, this is a vendetta against Springfield for actually stepping up and saving our historic stock by pushing the mothballing legislation.

[iloveionia]

I spoke to the owner of 1626 Ionia today after my conversation (this morning) with code enforcement.  He is a neighbor (the owner.)  I will state that he says he has a good relationship with this particular officer of code enforcement.  The owner is a bit more trusting than I, but I will also state the owner is a pastor of a church and a strong man of God. The owner has been upfront and honest through the process of his remodel of the carriage house and feels like he has been treated fairly.  In my opinion, the code enforcement officer was snooping as the owner states the officer has his phone number.  If the officer wanted to "inspect" the property an appointment should have been made.  And it was not.  But this is my summation.  Additionaly I would like to add we saved this house from demolition.  We knocked on the door of the owner somewhere over the bridge, convinced him to let us clean it out and board it up all at our own cost.  Then we encouraged the sale.  We do not own it or never did, but were strong advocates for it.  Took me a while and lots of creativity to get the owners phone number.  But it worked.

Here is a recap of the visit to 1626 Ionia today:  Code enforcement drives by my house towards 1626 Ionia (1 block north)  he parks and and I walk up the street.  I observe the officer walk past the front house through the trenches (dug for sewer and water lines) to the carriage house in the back.  He looks around the front of the property and gives one discrete knock at the door.  He moves immediately away and circles the carriage house to the north side, to the back next to the alley, and back around the south side to the front.  He then walks forward the same way he came in.  About half way up the property line I holler out something like.  "How's it going, everything okay?"  He walks toward me and I stick out my hand and introduce myself.  He shakes and tells me his first name.  I ask "Does (insert owner name here) know you are here?"  He states something like: "Well there is a special master's hearing coming up and I need pictures to present at the hearing."  I inform him I am aware of the hearing. (I do talk with the owner.)  I inform him the property has active permits and the owner is likely to provide those photos.  He states that he can't use those photos.  He needs his own.  I go on further about how I get he can walk onto a property just like any person can (you know go to the front door and knock.)  But I press about him not contacting the owner and circling the property and what the code says for him entering properties.  Then I bring up 8th/Liberty.  He denies.  We go on about mothballing.  (I'm just bringing him in all different directions.) He says he doesn't know what that is.  Everything is the owner's responsibility.  He's getting upset.  Asks if I am an attorney.  Says I look familiar like he's seen me before but can't place me.  Doesn't know why he has to explain all this to me when he doesn't even know who I am.  Talks about abatement that gives them the right to enter a property.  I ask about breaking into gates.  Deny.  Blames other officer "I don't know, that's on him."  Then a lightbulb turns on for him.  The music cues.  The spotlight shines.  He realizes I know more than he would like me to know.  That I have seen.  That I observe.  That I know names.  That I know people.  That I know owners.  That I know houses.  That I know codes.  That I know legislation.  That I fear not.  That I will ask.  That I will tell. His tone changes.  He states something about he just does what he is told.  That (in some degree) he agreed about helping.  I talked about contacting owners.  He talked about certified mail.  That they don't have phone numbers.  I talked about creativity.  I talked about how I have followed behind code and talked to the owners he claims they can't find.  And it goes on.  I basically state, get out of Springfield.  (and I didn't even use bad words.  not sure i even raised my voice.  nope.  didn't. totally civil.) 

if he was really there to help and get what he needed, he would have contacted the owner.  plain and simple.  set up a time to meet.  not just "show up."  bully and coward.  all he is doing is building a report for the special master to say something like "I went to the property, couldn't gain access, property still looks the same, owner not there, blah, blah, blah."  I know the game.  Been there.  Done that. 

Just want to make it clear.  We are watching.  Photographing.  Videotaping. 
In hindsight I wish I would have remembered to turn on the recorder to my phone.  Next time.

I also want to acknowledge the care request is the most classic move I have ever seen.  I fell out of my chair in hysterics when I saw that.  Big time kudos.

I additionally concur (obviously) about pushing mothballing.  The city needs to mothball our neglected properties.  That will "abate" the nuisance.  Preservation style.   

 

[Debbie Thompson]

Unknown to us, there was an open code case on our house when we bought it.  I found out one day when I saw the inspector standing on the sidewalk staring at the back yard and asked who he was and could I help him.  He was looking for a shed he had written up because the roof was falling in.  I told him we had just bought the house, I'd had that shed and another torn down (we had 4!) and was unaware there was an open case on the house. 

However, point I'm making, is that he told me he couldn't come on the property without permission, and that's why he was standing on the sidewalk staring in.  So have the rules changed?  Can MCCD now come onto private property and walk all around taking pictures without permission?  That's different than walking up and knocking on the door to see if you happen to be home.  And just because you aren't, doesn't  mean anything.  They come during the hours most people are working.

[sheclown]

1626 is really a wonderful "save" at this point.  PSOS absolutely did track down the former owner and knock on his door.  We then went to special masters with him and his wife, all the while trying to be helpful.  Then we went to code enforcement with him to get the special permission to be on the property.  He allowed us to clean out the inside and board up the windows.  Then code cited us for graffiti.  So we went back and painted the windows white. 

Nicole spent an easy hundred hours on the phone, talking to the former owner, to the current owner, advising, encouraging over the last couple of years.

As with all condemned properties in Springfield, Preservation SOS has an interest in this and knows more about each and every boarded up one than anyone.  Want to know about one?  Drop us a line, we'd be happy to share  info:

preservationsos@yahoo.com

[sheclown]

Without exception, every house has a similar story regarding harassment from the city.  What began as an attempt to force homeowners to fix up their condemned properties has turned into a FREAKIN nightmare. 

And here, at this time and place, the city is so out of balance.

And will remain so unless WE do something.

We helped elect our mayor.  Email him and tell him what is going on.

Springfield... free yourself.  Speak up. 

Save the houses.

mayorbrown@coj.net

[Garden guy]

how about a team of code man followers...people designated to follow and film these guys to make sure they are doing their job and make sure they are'nt doing something nefarious....i wonder how the city would take to it's citizen following every code man to make sure everything is on the up and up

[avs]

@GardenGuy: there are lots of neighbors keeping their eyes open for code, that is how we got the video.  Anyone who sees them doing something they shoudnt be please take a pic or video and post it.  We can build a case against them too

We go on about mothballing.  (I'm just bringing him in all different directions.) He says he doesn't know what that is

Mothballing is legislation, if the code office isn't educating their officers in current legislation, then that is ineptness from the very top.  What else is this officer not aware of?  His salary is paid by our tax dollars, I don't want my money paying someone to enforce code who isn't educated on current code!

[aclchampion]

The only problem with your Care complaint is you sent it to the wrong department. Building Inspection is not Municipal Code Compliance.

[aclchampion]

how about a team of code man followers...people designated to follow and film these guys to make sure they are doing their job and make sure they are'nt doing something nefarious....i wonder how the city would take to it's citizen following every code man to make sure everything is on the up and up

Just wondering but isn't filming or recording someone without their knowledge against the law? Just asking.

[acme54321]

I don't think it's against the law as long as it is filmed from a public area, like a street or whatever.