Sometimes the best thing that can happen to a problem property is for it to be sold. If the local jurisdiction is operating under the International Property Maintenance […]
Building Codes / property maintenance
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Discoverying Code Violations When Buying Property
Buyers of any type of real estate, residential or commercial, should always have the property checked out by a competent inspector who is familiar with building and fire […]
Code Enforcement / Ordinances / property maintenance
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Licensing Landlords
It always disheartens me when an important rental inspection ordinance encounters opposition. Based on personal experience, I am convinced that a well executed ordinance can prevent buildings from […]
Building Codes / Code Enforcement / Ordinances / property maintenance
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Demolition and Preemption
Inspectors often get frustrated with how slow demolition suits proceed through the court system under their state statutes. Most states establish a a strict procedure that must be […]
Building Codes / Code Enforcement / Law Enforcement and Codes / property maintenance
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Unsafe Buildings and Criminal Law
When dealing with unsafe buildings, code inspectors shouldn’t forget to consider whether criminal charges might be appropriate. A builder in Pennsylvania was recently charged with theft, deceptive practices […]
Code Enforcement / property maintenance
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Property Maintenance and the Mentally Ill
One of the greatest sources of satisfaction in my work is helping inspectors achieve observable results, e.g. the roof that gets fixed, the yard that gets cleaned up, […]
Code Enforcement / property maintenance
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Woman Dies in Home, Hole Cut in Roof to Remove Her
I recognize that hoarding cases can be extremely time consuming to deal with and difficult for a property maintenance inspector because the person the inspector is dealing with […]
Foreclosure / property maintenance
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Trouble in the multi-family housing mortgage market
There is a very disturbing report, The Multifamily Housing Market and Value-at-Risk Implications for Multifamily Lending, just released by DePaul University’s Institute for Housing Studies regarding the impact […]
Code Enforcement / Foreclosure / property maintenance
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Vacant Property Toolkit Available
The Vacant Property Toolkit from the Business and Professional People for the Public Interest is finally ready and posted on its website at http://www.bpichicago.org/VacantPropertyResources.php I’ve written about this […]
property maintenance
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Up on a Roof
Calling all inspectors. Help me help a prosecutor decide what violations this picture contains . The person is storing tires on a roof and says they’re planters. Illegal […]