Here are some of the juicy tidbits from the 2012 Maintenance Code and the proposed Ordinance (read them here).
- The code regulates all existing residential and non-residential structure (houses, barns, garages, sheds, fences, dog houses, etc) and the land the building sits on
- It specifies the minimum requirements for anything you can think of (lights, heat, plumbing, maintenance, size and number of windows)
- It applies to owners, occupants/tenants
- If you break any of the rules, the township can demand that you fix the “problem”
- If you don’t fix the problem, the Township will fix it for you, then send you the bill
- If you cannot pay the bill, the Township will put a lien on your house… then comes the Sherriff’s sale.
- The Code Enforcement Officer can enter your home without a search warrant. If you refuse, he’ll go get the authorities. (section 104.3 Right of Entry)
- It shall be unlawful for you to be in violation of this code. (section 106.1)
- Each day that you are in violation is a separate offense!!! two days = two fines
Here are some specific rules from the Code.
- You cannot have an unregistered or non-drivable car parked on your property (section 302.8)
- No vehicle can be in a state of disassembly, disrepair, or in the process of being stripped or dismantled (section 302.8)
- You cannot paint your vehicle outside (section 302.8)
- You cannot do any major work on your vehicle outside–it has to be done in a garage. If you don’t have a garage, that’s too bad. (section 302.8)
- There cannot be any standing water on your property (section 302.2)
- You have to prevent soil erosion on your property (section 302.2)
- You must have a fence at least 48 inches high around your swimming pool, hot tub, or spa that is more than 2 feet deep (section 303.2)
- You cannot have weeds or plant growth over 14 inches (the supervisors picked that height all by themselves) (section 302.4 and section 3 of the Ordinance)
- You cannot have noxious weeds (who decides what noxious weeds are??) (section 302.4)
- Weeds are all grasses, annual plants and vegetation which are not cultivated, other than trees or shrubs (section 302.4)
- You cannot have ANY peeling paint. All surfaces (except treated lumber) must be painted or protected. (section 304.2)
- No metal can be rusty (section 304.2)
- You have clean off any rust stains from your house (section 304.2)
- All windows must have screens (section 314.14)
- All stairs of more than four steps must have a handrail; any surface more than 30 inches off the ground must have a railing (section 307.1)
- Railings must be between 30 and 42 inches high (section 307.1)
- A room must be at least 7 feet wide (section 404.2)—if the room is smaller, then what? Leave home?
- Kitchens must have at least 3 feet between the counter and anything else (section 404.2)
- Your living room has to be at least 120 square feet. If not, I guess you need to build a new house. (section 404.4.1)
- All bedrooms must be at least 70 square feet. (If it isn’t, do they arrest you for sleeping in it?) (section 404.4.1)
- There must be at least 50 square feet of space for each person that sleeps in a bedroom (section 404.4.1)—so if your house is small and you have four kids, you are in trouble.
- You cannot have a captive bedroom (section 404.4.2)
- Your toilet must be only one story up or down from the bedroom (section 404.4.3)
- You cannot sleep in the kitchen or any other non-habitable area (section 404.4.4)
- You must heat any occupied spaces to at least 65 degrees (section 602.4 and section 6 of the ordinance)
- Your home must comply with the International Building Code, Plumbing Code, Electric Code, Mechanical Code (and other codes) (chapter 8 of the Code)
- Drainage of roofs and paved areas, yards and courts, and other open areas on the premises shall not be discharged in a manner that creates a public nuisance (section 507.1)
- There can be no rubbish on your property (section 308)—but what exactly is rubbish? Who gets to decide for sure?
- All structures (sheds, fences, garages, etc) on the property in good repair (section 302.7)—so, what exactly is good repair? Who decides? How much will that cost you?