The Sandusky adjudication hearing on code case EN23-0650 tabled a $1,000 third administrative penalty for the property at 1310 Putnam Avenue until Nov. 15, 2025, and directed the owner to coordinate with city code enforcement. The board voted unanimously to delay further action so the inspector can verify compliance.

Inspector Ron Snyder of the City of Sandusky Code Compliance Office laid out the city’s findings and timeline, saying the case began in April 2023 and that multiple inspections showed intermittent progress. “The inspection yielded no progress since November 2025,” Snyder said when summarizing the June 10, 2025 inspection that led to the third penalty; he said the third penalty was issued June 10 and the appeal arrived June 20.

Owner Arthur Liston told the board he purchased the house as a fixer-upper in February 2021, has focused on interior work to make the house livable and repeatedly traveled from his Lakewood home to do repairs. “I didn’t realize I I I didn’t know he was contacting me earlier this year,” Liston said when asked why communication with the inspector had been spotty; he also described financial limits and said he is considering selling the property.

Board members pressed Liston about unpaid earlier penalties and the history of extensions. Snyder said two earlier administrative penalties remain unpaid — $100 and $500 — and that the third penalty of $1,000 had been added after the June 10 inspection. One board member summarized the board’s approach: if the owner pays the prior fines and completes required exterior work by the deadline, the $1,000 penalty may be waived; otherwise the board will revisit enforcement and potential court referral.

The board’s motion, as amended during the meeting, sets Nov. 15 as the date by which Snyder should verify completion for inclusion in the commission packet. Board members made clear they expect regular communication with the inspector during the interim. The board’s roll-call vote on the amended motion was recorded as unanimous in favor.

Background: Snyder’s report lists recurring exterior issues found by inspection visits: missing gutters and downspouts, peeling or missing paint on the accessory building and residence, missing siding panels, exposed gaps above a side door, and railing work. The property’s parcel number and other case paperwork are in the hearing packet.

If work is not complete by the Nov. 15 verification, the board said it will consider reimposing the $1,000 administrative penalty and pursuing court action; the board noted it cannot bind a future board to a particular enforcement outcome but will bring the matter back for formal action.