During the May 8 meeting the Hammond Board of Public Works heard a lengthy series of rental registration appeals and administrative clarifications, waived late fees in multiple cases and set follow-up steps for homestead exemption issues.

Board staff recorded waivers of late fees for owners who had prior on-time compliance or presented mitigating circumstances. Cases granted waivers in the meeting record included a two-unit property owned by Clara Castro (5717 Bearing), three addresses owned by the same owner (2122 Atchison, 1746 Lake and 1318 Stanton), and two properties on Myrtle Avenue (1615–17 Myrtle and 1631 Myrtle) where staff requested completion or correction of a partial homestead deduction removal form. The board also waived late fees for separate cases where the owner cited illness or a family funeral and instructed owners who had homestead exemptions active on rental properties to complete removal forms.

For a case involving an owner named Eugenia Ocala at 7112 California Avenue, staff (Jordan and Naomi in the transcript) determined Ocala did not understand the homestead-exemption removal requirement; staff scheduled an appointment with the law department and city staff for an in-person explanation and paperwork assistance (a Monday morning meeting and a Thursday follow-up were arranged in the transcript). The board said it would withhold a final determination on late fees until the homestead-exemption forms were properly completed and recorded with Lake County.

In one case (5624 Walter) staff recommended applying the late fee for all four units and the board concurred. In each hearing the board recorded motions to waive or apply fees and staff explained documentation or next steps. The transcript shows staff guiding owners through remedies and scheduling administrative follow-ups; the board’s actions were recorded as waivers or directives to staff rather than fines rescinded by ordinance.