Code Enforcement
The City of Monroe Code Enforcement Division works to help keep our city safe and beautiful. Our aim is to eliminate unsafe dilapidated structures, reduce blight, prevent illegal dumping and improve property maintenance throughout the neighborhoods.
In 2020, the City launched the Code Enforcement Property Portal. The portal’s goal is to communicate code enforcement activities to Monroe citizens. Users can search for a specific address and display related code enforcement history and activities.
Blight Policies
Be generous and help keep our community clean & safe! Let’s eliminate blight!
Yard signs will be placed on blighted properties notating “The property has been inspected” by Code Enforcement.
Before (Blighted Property)
After (Blighted Property)
COMMON CODE VIOLATIONS
Litter and Trash
Remove all litter and trash and place it in an approved receptacle and/or taken to the landfill.
Dilapidated Structures
Dilapidated Structures are unsafe, they are blight and a nuisance that must be abated by repair, rehabilitated to current city codes or demolished.
Inoperable Vehicles
Inoperable vehicles are also blight! These vehicles must be made operational with current stickers and tags or placed in an enclosed building and/or removed from premises.
High Grass/Weeds
All premises must be cleared of all high grass, weeds, noxious growth and any abandoned ordiscarded items; thereafter premises must always be maintained.
Dumping
Illegal Dumping is unlawful, and this offense can be considered criminal. Please follow all codes for Garbage and Trash to avoid any citations.
VIOLATION PROCEDURES
Enforcement Summons
Code Enforcement Office investigates complaints from citizens, Monroe Police Department, Monroe Fire Departments and other similar agencies such as – Elderly Protective Services, Health Department, Home Health agencies, etc.
A summons is issued notifying property owner(s) of said violations and given instruction on how to meet compliance and when to appear in Environmental Court. Re-inspection is made if the property owner advises that they have met compliance or the day before their court appearance and if at anytime prior to the court date compliance has been met the case will be cleared and dismissed.
Environmental Court
The Code Enforecement Division holds Environmental Court Hearings once a month at 9:00am at Monroe City Hall in the Council Chambers. These hearings will be held on all cases that do not meet compliance within the allotted time frame given by the Code Enforcement Office.
Court Dates last Tuesday of Every Month located in the Monroe City Council’s Chambers.
Condemnation
Code Enforcement Office sends a certified notice to the property owner which contains violations and orders the property owner to bring the property up to current City codes, secure it or demolish it within 30 days upon receipt of certified card.
A re-inspection occurs at the end of the 30 days to verify if the property meets compliance. If the property meets compliance the case is closed. If the property fails to meet compliance the case is forwarded to the City Attorneys Office for condemnation.
Condemnation Hearing
Condemnation hearings are held every 2nd and 4th Tuesday every month during the City Council meeting.
CODE ENFORCEMENT ABATEMENT PROCESS
- Intake & Input – Complaints are taken and assigned to an Officer for an Initial Inspection. Most inspections are performed within 24 hours of the complaint
- Field Inspection – Officers conduct field inspections where they take photographs and notate any violations. If code violations are present the officers will begin the investigation phase; Research
- Research – Officer’s identify property owner(s) and/or the occupants; all documents pertinent to the property are collected
- Notice Given to Owner – Contact is made with the property owner(s) and/or occupant notifying them of the violations on their property;
- Initial Contact – phone call/door hanger; (after which a formal notice shall follow)
- Courtesy Notice – To allow the owner time to comply – the owner is given a date to comply by; if compliance is not met by that date legal action will be initiated; All parties related to the property will be cited and must appear in the City of Monroe’s Environmental Court
- Summons to Appear – Environmental Court, the owner(s) can be found guilty; fines and/or court costs can be imposed
- Week Before Court – Code Enforcement Officers re-inspects for compliance before Environmental Court