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Residents say repeated property violations persist despite inspections; cite slow enforcement
Summary
Two residents told council that code enforcement has repeatedly cited properties — including one in West Haven and a damaged building on Victory Boulevard — but that violations remain or cases are closed without remedial action.
Portsmouth — Residents pressed the City Council to address what they described as recurring zoning and property-maintenance violations that have gone unresolved despite repeated inspections.
David House, a Portsmouth resident, said a property in the West Haven neighborhood has received 13 inspection and zoning citations since May 2023 but remains in violation. He told council that click-fix tickets and repeated inspections have not led to sustained remediation and urged the council to use available legal remedies. House cited state code Title 48 and described the process by which five or more citizens can request a special grand-jury nuisance investigation through the circuit court.
Daniel House (no relation asserted in the record), a resident who spoke about 2301 Victory Boulevard, said structural damage from a May 31 vehicle collision has left windows and basement access boarded or open and that a June notice listed violations but did not specify corrective items in the final notice. He said the property has been reinspected multiple times and eventually closed without repairs being completed, and he cited specific city-code provisions requiring owners to secure and maintain vacant structures.
What residents want
Both speakers asked council to hold inspectors and enforcement processes accountable and to pursue clearer, sustained remedies rather than repeated open/close cycles. David House provided a timeline of documented photos and open tickets covering about 31 months and said zoning staff had failed to provide requested records for an August-to-August request.
City response and next steps
The transcript records the complaints and the residents’ descriptions of case histories; council did not adopt a new code change at the meeting. The clerk and city manager were asked to ensure follow-up; residents were told to supply contact information and the city said staff would provide file records and next steps on enforcement processes where appropriate.
Speakers and citations
- David House said the property in West Haven has been cited 13 times since May 2023 and detailed open click-fix tickets and photographs he submitted to the city. - Daniel House described repeated reinspections for 2301 Victory Boulevard after a vehicle collision and said the final notice on the property did not list the corrective items required, despite city code language that owners must secure and maintain vacant buildings.
Neither speaker requested a specific ordinance change at the meeting; both asked for immediate and sustained enforcement and better transparency about enforcement outcomes.
