One of the very unfortunate consequences of the economic downturn is the layoff of code enforcement personnel. Peoria, Illinois is facing the layoff of about 1/3 of its staff. I’ve had the good fortune of doing a number of training days in or near Peoria. As with many cities, it struggles hard to prevent blight. I fear a spiraling down effect in cities and towns where budget cuts leads to weaker enforcement which leads to more problems in neighborhoods that are already struggling. The inspectors I work with are already doing as much as they can to deal with problem properties. What will some of these towns and cities look like in 10 years because of the decisions we are making today?
A ten year old structure in Oregon called Courthouse Square is now abandoned due to structural defects. An article in the Statesman Journal discusses how this came about and suggests solutions including peer to peer reviews of building plans. The biggest problem with the project was in the structural design. The author of the article said:
While plan review is a safeguard for public safety, jurisdictions place heavy reliance on licensed engineers to do the jobs correctly.
But who oversees those professionals? That's the questioned raised by this unfortunate situation.
The Virginia-Pilot has a story about a person who built a 2 story structure without a permit and was finally found out by the building department. Despite the fact that I have written extensively about the negative consequences of building without a permit (see my last book, The Building Process Simplified), I am still amazed at the brazenness of people who think they won’t get caught even though they are building something everyone can see! I suppose they hope they’ll get by with a small fine and an apology but will be allowed to keep the illegal structure. While a few might get a variance or pass inspection, many of these structures have to be torn down. Most people who do this are trying to avoid paying for the permits or the other costs of compliance. I have had many of them argue with me in court when they are prosecuted even though the violation is clear. The costs they incur when they are caught far exceed the cost of the permit.
NPR did a story yesterday on how some banks have decided to demolish foreclosed properties in Cleveland and give the land to local government for its land bank because it’s a way to save save the costs of servicing these properties with the added benefit that it helps stabilize the neighborhood. The agreement was described this way:
The Cuyahoga County Land Bank, a quasi-government corporation, offered lenders a deal: We’ll take your worst houses, if you pay to knock them down. This year, Fannie Mae and some of the country’s biggest lenders — including Bank of America, Citibank and Wells Fargo — will help pay for half of the land bank’s 700 scheduled demolitions.
Based on what I’m seeing, it makes sense to demolish these residences sooner, rather than later. I’ve seen homes open to raccoons and water damage that just keep deteriorating. No one is ever going to buy them and fix them up. With the banks sharing the cost of demolition in these circumstances, it becomes possible to stop the trend toward blight in the surrounding community. The vacant land can be used as green space or bought by someone who wants to build a new residence. We’re finding that in some circumstances these properties are more marketable if the derelict house is gone.
Persons who do work without a permit or allow bedrooms in basements that are in violation of the building code risk more than fines. In a tragic case in Ann Arbor, a homeowner’s daughter died along with another person because of a fire in the basement. The owner was charged with renting without a certificate of compliance, illegal occupancy of the basement, inadequate smoke detectors, and inadequate exits from the basement by the local prosecutor. The public just doesn’t understand how building inspectors save lives.
