Julie Morris from the EPA addressed the Springfield conference on “Lead-Based Paint, Renovation, Repair and Painting”. She discussed the various rules and exclusions involved in renovating buildings that […]
Healthy homes conference Part 3
Lynne Page Snyder from NASCSP, the National Association for State Community Services Programs, spoke about “weatherization plus health” at the Springfield conference. Funds from the Department of Energy’s Weatherization Assistance […]
Healthy homes conference Part 2
When I am in court, my focus is on the safety of the building that is the subject of my prosecution. I don’t know that I’ve paid that […]
Healthy homes conference Part 1
This week I was a speaker at the 2011 Lead Poisoning Prevention Conference in Springfield, IL that was about so much more than lead poisoning. It was really […]
Fewer inspectors, more problem properties
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 […]
Inspector faces manslaughter trial
A former inspector for Aspen, CO faces criminal negligent homicide charges for the death of a family due to carbon monoxide poisoning. A pipe from the boiler used […]
Plan review isn’t always enough
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 […]
The consequences of building without a permit
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 […]
Demolition One Solution to Foreclosed Homes
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 […]
Illegal basement bedroom leads to tragedy
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 […]