Speaking of housing, but on the other end of the scale: How would you like to live next door to blight? As an Eagle article Saturday showed, it can take years for city inspectors to resolve cases involving run-down, eyesore properties. In one example, a home that burned two years ago still sits empty and boarded up, attracting trash and vandalism.
Granted, the process can be complicated because of due-process concerns. But the patience of nearby homeowners is wearing thin — and you can’t blame them.
The city is seeking tougher fines and code enforcement rules, and that’s welcome. One goal should be speedier resolutions of worst-case properties. As Wichita City Council member Jim Skelton said of the sometimes years-long delays: “It’s wrong. It’s unacceptable.”
Posted by Randy Scholfield
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26 Comments
Due-Process? Heck, I almost got a summons for not having enough gravel in a side of the house driveway to please some inspector. And I was told to do it in a week or I would be given a ticket to appear in court.
You’re telling me no one can declare burn-out property a safety/health hazzard?
Appears to me whoever is running that department in charge of doing that needs to be fired so they can get someone that knows how to set priorities.
JM, you are so right. I have seen the city inspectors nit pick a property that no would have looked at twice, only to totally neglect the worst properties I’ve ever seen that were really unsafe for the tenants. They must be buddies with the slum lord or something, even when we complained about the conditions, nothing was really done. I agree, it’s time to get some fresh blood in that city department.
Very good points above. It definitely seems that inspectors will nit-pick some people and totally ignore others. I have seen similar things with other enforcement agencies including day care, child welfare etc. Note for example the kids virtually starved to death with nothing done and then other families hassled for nothing.
Wasn’t the reason the police went into the home of non-BTK Valdez was because he had some loose gutters?What we need is more goverment. Morons need jobs too.
lol, thats why i love living in the sticks… They dont bother u bout most of thoes things…
Remember, if this were a Libertarian ruled world, nobody would be able to do anything at all, because the right of the property owner would trump everyone else’s concerns.
And Kevin@midwestlighting.com, you should be ashamed of yourself. Obviously those people care about their neighborhood or they wouldn’t be complaining! I guess I know where I WON’T shop for my next lighting fixtures.
I doubt Kevin is too worried about losing your business, PeeMom. In fact, the lighting fixtures you buy can be found at Walmart. His are a bit higher end.
Now, if he was the supplier of your cigarettes, and you suddenly decided to start buying from someone else – THEN he’d feel the pinch in his wallet.
OH whatever you toad. You know nothing about how much money I’m making now, so go back to the other board. And there isn’t a single light fixture in my home that I bought from Walmart, thank you very much.
I’m with you, Dad (although, if you’re a supporter of the ACLU, then we’d have to work to correct that flaw in your reasoning).
I’d be all for a methodology to rid our towns (and counties) of blight. Give the owner 30 days to clean it up – or to at least show progress. If not – put it up for auction. Give the owner the proceeds of the auction. Then the new owner gets the same treatment.
If it doesn’t sell – bulldoze it and try again.
golf – “Dad” was not advocating cleaning up the blighted property. His reference to “entire blocks” clearly targeted the neighbors who are trying to improve their neighborhood.
I have heard from friends in South Wichita that the Wichita-Sedgwick County Dept of Environmental Health turns a blind eye to their neighborhood as well. I guess they are not wealthy enough to matter.
“I guess I know where I WON’T shop for my next lighting fixtures.”
Omigosh! I’m sure someone with your buying power making threats has retailers everywhere trembling.
uh, golf…. the Fifth Amendment might be troublesome to your proposed quick solution….
I’ll join you in your boycott pol mom.
Kevin and Goofball can move to a gated community. That’s where tight asses like them belong.
Most homeowners are not the problem here. The problem is greedy neglectful landlords. There is an apartment complex a block from me where 2/3 of the units are vacant and falling down. Places like THAT should be seized and rezoned for public housing in hopes the new tenants might make repairs.
Dad sure sounds like Ian to me.
Actually JR I would turn them over to Habitat or Catholic Charities or Sunflower or some similar group. Then try to get them back into responsible private hands.
I find it interesting to see how quickly they can move against Episcopal Services while this thing has been dragging for years. Shows their priorities.
That would work too Ben.
Those folks do good work.
In the case of this particular complex, it would be a wonderful start on a low rent senior living/ assisted living community. The location is ideal. The current ownership is out of state and like the last ownership, will make what they can while they can until the city really cracks down. Then they will sell it off to another holding company and the whole process starts all over again.
Careful, all.
The Constitution permits the seizure of private land for “public USE,” not to turn over to someone else for private profit, the SCOTUS’s shameful decision in KELO notwithstanding. Blight was NOT a factor in the Kelo decision; the city’s ability to generate larger tax revenues was the motivator there. The result is that it is now clear that we own our property subject to the whim of the authorities.
I know, it’s my natural paranoia at work. But if you’re not paranoid, you’re not paying attention! ;-)
Be careful what you wish for; when the city decides that they can get more property taxes with your property in someone else’s hands, it may well be YOUR property in the city’s sights.
Certainly, we have to clean up blighted properties, it’s in everyone’s best interest. But let’s tread very lightly using eminent domain to do so.
I’ll be right back. I’m going to Midwest Lighting to buy a truck load. Somebody has to make up for all the money that PeeMom won’t be spending.
Good point GMC. I have not specifically followed this case – just what has been in the news. However it sure seems that the landowner has had ample opportunity to clean up the place and has failed to do so.
hmmm all these names that oddly seem to have familiar phrases…
I would think that the first thing that needs to be addressed would be the accountability of departments involved in the issues of blight.I’m sure that there are some inspectors not up-to-par with what they are doing.I’m also sure that there is some misdirection as far as procedures in assessments of what is consider as blight.Blight has many causes, the question is who and what is it that is causing the hold up on the processes.
Who wouldn’t want to live in a Libertarian world? Look at it in a nutshell. I can do with me and mine as I see fit. As long as I am not causing harm to your life, liberty, or property then you just have to deal with it.
Notice the harm to property clause. Just as I can’t dump sewage into a stream that runs to my neighbor’s land, I could be held accountable for other action/in-action causing loss of property value.
Proudman – in an ideal situation I agree with you. Unfortunately, too many people are irresponsible. With civil litigation the only way to deal with things like pollution the courts would be so clogged as to be inoperable.
Ben,
All of us prefer some kind of ideal situation. I would certainly rather pay the price through clogged courts than to have the ‘property cops’ running around deciding things.
Libertarian–someone who wants just enough government to protect him from his slaves.
Galahad, go away.