Hours After Hurricane Irma, Miami-Dade County Tickets Residents For Code Violations

Reason ^

[TigerClaws]

Mere hours after Hurricane Irma, Miami-Dade County was ticketing residents for building code violations on their wrecked properties.

Celso Perez was helping his neighbors remove some fallen trees blocking their street when a county code enforcer rolled up and issued him a safety notice for having a downed fence. "I laughed," Perez tells WSVN-TV. "I thought he was kidding. 'You are kidding right? We just had a hurricane six hours ago.'"

It wasn't a joke. The official told Perez that the downed fence—which encloses a pool—was a safety hazard, and that if it wasn't fixed by the time he returned, Perez would be hit with a fine. The official then hung the safety citation on the portion of Perez's fence that remained standing, leaving him and his neighbors to finish clearing the debris from their street.

According to WSVN, the county has handed out 680 safety notices for downed pool barriers, and another 177 electrical hazard safety notices. Reason reached out to the county to confirm those numbers, but has not received a reply.

From what can be gleaned from the WSVN story and from county code enforcement procedures, these safety notices appear to be just warnings, meaning no fines have been handed out as of yet. Reason tried to confirm this with the county as well, but was again rebuffed.

Still, these warnings carry with them a duty to correct the violation within a specific window of time. That might not even be possible for some residents, given how many businesses are still out of operation.

As Perez said of the day he got his ticket, "All the stores were closed. It's not like I can go to Home Depot and find some temporary barrier."

Even if he could, it's quite possible that Perez and the other people handed citations might have more pressing things to do right after a hurricane than bring their homes back up to code. You know: clearing the streets, seeking medical attention, checking in on family members, trying to find food. You might think the county would have higher priorities too, like getting the lights back on for Miami-Dade's 16,510 homes and businesses still without power.

County officials don't see it that way. "It is important that we reach residents in the immediate aftermath of the storm," one tells WSVN, "because that is when conditions are most dangerous, and taking steps to protect life is a critical part of the recovery process."

[Da Coyote]

Ah, another reason for guillotines.
And the Second Ammendment.

[DoughtyOne]

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...this is a general all-purpose message, and should not be seen as targeting any individual I am responding to...

Just $183.00 dollars and cents to 93.00%

[T. P. Pole]

This is what tar and feathers are for.

[Dallas59]

Idiots. Nothing better to do. Try helping the community clean up instead giving out tickets.

[FatherofFive]

The best government is the least government

[Robert DeLong]

What else would you expect from a liberal controlled entity? Compassion? LOL, no money for the bureaucrats in the compassion game.

[DoughtyOne]

That public servant isn’t qualified to be one.

Can his ass!

[sparklite2]

"That'll be five dollars, leaving a dwelling
unoccupied overnight tax."

[Steely Tom]

That public servant isn’t qualified to be one.

Can his ass!

One would think this sort of thing could be used to help the opposition get elected next time around.

[DoughtyOne]

One would certainly hope so.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Houston has no zoning, so they don’t have to deal with this.

The only purpose of zoning laws is for purposes of barratry.

[txrefugee]

Thank God we live in Texas where everyone has better sense than these bullies with clipboards.

[vette6387]

“That public servant isn’t qualified to be one.
Can his ass!”

Better still, get the neighbors together and take him into custody.

[the_Watchman]

In 1969 our house was destroyed by a mudslide in Glendale, California. Within 4 days we were cited by the inspectors. It’s a clear case of adding insult to injury.

[W.]

Mommy state on LSD.

[blueunicorn6]

Well, somebody has to pay the salaries of the Mayor’s cousins.

[Paladin2]

The city should supply temporary barriers, for the public good.

[Bonemaker]

And they wonder why we despise government.