A problematic property brought to the attention of Argos officials sparked a conversation about code enforcement when members met last Wednesday.
Police Chief Corey Bowman talked with the council about a lot located at 711 North Michigan Street. There was formerly a grocery store there and several complaints have reportedly been submitted in the past about trash on the property and other code violations.
Despite issuing a number of tickets to the property owner, the problems have persisted. Bowman asked if he should continue writing tickets or if there was anything else that should be done instead.
Town Attorney Derek Jones stated that when there’s a situation where someone is ticketed, they pay their fine but then they fail to address the violation there is further action that town officials can take.
He said that authorities may want to look into the nuisance ordinances to determine if any of those are applicable to this particular situation or any others with similar circumstances.
Jones said that with this method, a notice would be sent to the property owner, informing them that they’re in violation and telling them they must rectify the issue. He added that if they fail to address the problem, then the town could file a suit and take the case to court.
According to Jones, the Judge would issue an injunction, legally requiring the property owner to address their violation. Jones mentioned that this route would be a bit more time consuming and added that would result in the Town facing some associated court fees.
Jones indicated that, ultimately, it would be up to the council to decide if they want to take a particular case to court.
Chief Bowman mentioned that he would send another letter to the owner of the Michigan Street property. He added that he foresees having similar issues with a few other properties in town so this may be the way to go with those cases as well.
Jones recommended focusing on the nuisance ordinance violations and incorporating the fact that the town is willing to proceed with legal action if the problems are not fixed.
