City residents have long been able to complain to code enforcement when their neighbors let the weeds grow too high or leave an unlicensed vehicle in the yard for too long.
Outside city limits, St. Joseph County has been building its own program and an inspector says it’s going well.
The county started its Code Enforcement in May 2022 but last year was the program’s first full year. Inspectors respond to complaints about overgrown vegetation, nuisances and outdoor debris, such as inoperable cars and boats.
The program recently gave its annual report to the Area Plan Commission. Last year it ordered six dilapidated homes demolished.
Steve Szaday, a former housing code inspector for the city, is one of two county inspectors. He says the program allowed the county to more quickly clean up a property in Clay Township in December.
A man in his late 60s was living alone in the home, and its power had been disconnected. He had accumulated several inoperable vehicles in the yard when a neighbor complained.
"It was intense. It was a two- or three-day cleanup with full-blown crews," Szaday said. "I mean, the contractors we used were literally using front-end loaders and a dump truck because it was just such an absolute mess. It's a shame it got that way for the gentleman, but a happy ending."
Property owners have to pay for the cleanup work. If they don’t, an assessment lien is attached to the property. In this case, the lien was blocking the man’s ability to sell the property, so he paid the $16,000 bill Monday.
