Code Enforcement

Code Enforcement Officer:
In October 2013, the City of Nederland added a separate Code Enforcement Officer to take the proactive approach in addition to the compliant basis approach for daily routine patrols made throughout the city. Code enforcement provides essential and beneficial services that ensure quality of life within the City of Nederland. The Code Enforcement Department enforces minimum property standards and nuisance violations. The City of Nederland has adopted the 2009 International Property Maintenance Code for setting the minimum standards to be followed. The 2009 International Property Maintenance Code can be viewed here 2009 International Property Maintenance Code
The adopted amendments, additions and deletions to the International Property Maintenance Code are shown in Chapter 18-Article 7 of City Code of Ordinances viewed at the following link: www.municode.com

Code Enforcement is a service provided to properties within the city limits that are discovered to be in violation of city ordinances. The most common type of violation that the Code Enforcement Officer addresses is that involving weedy lots.  Code Enforcement is an important tool of the city because it is the arm that verifies and seeks compliance with health and safety codes. If a property is found to be non-compliant, the Code Enforcement Staff will undergo the process of advising the owner of the discovered violation, providing a tenure to conform, verifying if compliance has been achieved by the due date, filing charges in Municipal Court for those that are still non-compliant, verifying prior to the court’s hearing date if the owner complied or not, representing the city at the court level, and then following up with the conditions of the court, which may involve a re-set of the case to a new docket which will involve the verification efforts all over again.

Examples of Standards & Nuisance Violations:

• It is a violation to allow any and all structures to become substandard by lack of maintenance or for lack of replacement from damage to any minimum building component, roof, windows, decaying wood, etc.
• It is considered a public nuisance for any property to allow the accumulation of junk, debris, rubbish and garbage to continue long enough to substantially annoy, injure or endanger the comfort, health, repose or safety of the public.
• All residential and business garbage containers shall be kept in sanitary condition and closed tightly. The contents of all receptacles shall be so protected that the wind cannot blow out and scatter the contents over the street, alleys, and premises of the city.
• It is prohibited to allow a dilapidated, unsanitary stagnant swimming pool to continue long enough to become a danger to the occupants or the public.
• All swimming pools shall at all times be fully enclosed by an approved maintained barrier.
• Improper discharges of sewer, water and unimproved substances.
• All dilapidated fences and accessory buildings shall be removed or repaired and maintained to the minimum standards
• Parking of any vehicle on an unimproved surface such as grass or mud is prohibited. It is also prohibited for commercial vehicles which are more than 9.5 feet in height and more than 9 feet in length from parking on public streets, in driveways or on private property in any residential districts or areas not zoned for residential use, but where the predominant land use is residential.
• Abandoned, discarded, dismantled or unregistered vehicles, boats are required to be stored inside an enclosed building.
• It is prohibited to occupy for habitation any structure without first having all minimum utilities in proper working order.
• It is prohibited to occupy any recreational vehicle outside an approved manufactured home park.
• Illegal Home businesses
• It is a requirement to at all times have permanently mounted address numbers visible from the street. (Emergency personnel must be able to see address numbers).
• It is considered illegal dumping and a violation for anyone to place any and all trash or garbage at the curb in front of a vacant lot or at the curb in front of a vacant unoccupied home/structure (whether paying for service or not).
• It is a requirement for all tree trimming contractors to completely remove from the City, all of their contracted debris and is a violation to place any of their debris at the curb for City removal.
• It is a requirement for tree trimming contractors working within the Nederland city limits to secure a no cost permit through the office of the Code Enforcement Department for each job location.
• Illegally placed signs
• Other general nuisances violations
• It is prohibited for any property owner to allow the grass to grow to a height greater than six inches from the surface of the ground.

Penalty for noncompliance:

In the event of the failure of the owner or occupant or person in control of the property to bring property into compliance with the minimum standards, the City will file charges in Municipal Court and/or contract the work for compliance to be performed and a lien filed on the property or request that the fine be in the amount the city incurred for bringing the violation into compliance.

Important Notes and Terms:

Motor Vehicles - no abandoned or discarded motor vehicle/boats and recreational vehicles is prohibited from being parked, kept or stored on any premises in a state of major disassembly, disrepair or in the process of being stripped, dismantled or painted unless completely enclosed inside a structure.

Accumulation of rubbish or garbage - all exterior property and premises, and the interior of every structure, shall be kept free from any accumulation of rubbish or garbage.

Rubbish - to include combustible and noncombustible waste materials, the term shall include waste, the residual from burning, the burning of wood, coal and other combustible materials, paper, rags, cartons, boxes, wood, excelsior, rubber, leather, tree branches, yard trimmings, tin cans, metals, mineral waste, glass, crockery, appliances and any materials or items not specifically designed, listed or approved by the manufacture listings to be stored outside in the elements to include appliances, furniture, cloths and other materials or items.

Infestation/Rodent - it the presence, within contiguous to, a structure or premises of insects, rats, vermin or other pests.