Does your neighbor park his pickup in his front yard, because his driveway is filled with inoperable junk cars? Does he let his grass grow waist-high? Does the neighbor down the street have soft drink machine on the front porch? Does a mechanic operate out of his house and garage on the next block? These are, of course, egregious examples of neighborhood eyesores and nuisances; but do you know what is legal and illegal according to City of Memphis Code of Ordinances?
Top Ten Code Violations in Memphis
- Accumulation of junk, trash and debris
- Open storage of material and furnishings
- Parking and storing inoperable (junk) motor vehicles
- Excessive weed, grass, trees, and shrubs
- Substandard structures and fences
- Off street parking
- Special use / recreational vehicles and equipment
- Commercial vehicles and equipment
- Abandoned and derelict structures
- General service and repair shops
For more details, here is the City’s list with pictures and further explanations. Of course there are many more ordinances on the books; here’s a summary of codes that affect neighborhoods and home owners and housing.
How do I file a complaint about a violation?
For non-emergency violations you will probably want to start by contacting the Mayor’s Citizen Service Center at 901-576-6500, or the Department of Housing/Code Enforcement can also be contacted at 901-576-7380 to file a complaint regarding unsafe housing conditions, or inoperable vehicles, or File your complaint online. Occasionally we hear of slow or no response by code enforcement. I encourage you to contact the authorities again and have all your concerned neighbors do the same. In the end Code Enforcement will be held accountable for a resolutionWe, as members of the community, tend to put up with nuisances and violations rather than taking action to make things better. Excessive code violations tend to run down a neighborhood in general, lowering property values and the neighborhood’s desirability. Whether you own or rent, take pride in your neighborhood. Live where you live!
Photos Courtesy of Memphis City Beautiful Commission
About Joe Spake
Joe Spake is a Real Estate Broker and Consultant, specializing in Downtown, Midtown and East Memphis properties. He also blogs at Joe Spake's Weblog. Joe Spake's Google+profile
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