CIRCLEVILLE, Ohio — Circleville property owners who let their grass grow too high, pile up trash in the yard or build without a permit can now be issued a civil ticket instead of facing criminal charges, under a new ordinance the city says took effect this summer.
Circleville City Council enacted Chapter 501.17, Civil Penalties/Administrative Tickets, giving the city’s code enforcement officer authority to issue tickets for minor property violations rather than pursuing criminal charges against owners, according to the city’s monthly newsletter, The Loop. The change covers violations such as high grass, trash left in yards, general property maintenance issues under the International Property Maintenance Code, and building without a zoning permit.
Because the ticketing process is new, the city said the code enforcement officer is allowing a three-month grace period, during which violators will receive a courtesy warning and a set amount of time to fix the problem before a ticket is issued. The grace period runs through Oct. 16, according to the city.
Once that window closes, any violation issued a ticket will result in a fine added directly to the property owner’s next water bill, the city said. A posted ticket will identify the type of violation and the fine amount, and property owners who believe they were wrongly ticketed can appeal in writing to the code enforcement officer within 14 calendar days of receiving the ticket, before the fine is added to their utility account.
The city released statistics from the program’s first month. In August, code enforcement issued 15 warnings, of which nine violations were resolved after the warning and three received extensions. Three violations were not abated and are set to receive fines, the city said.
Residents with questions about the new process, or who want to report a nuisance property, can contact Michelle Cockerham, the city’s zoning inspector and code enforcement officer, according to the newsletter.
The information contained in this story was obtained from the City of Circleville.
