City code officers outline foreclosure, demolition and salvage limits after Duval Street properties taken

Municipal Code Compliance staff told the True Commission that the city uses a range of enforcement tools — citations, administrative hearings, civil court injunctions and, in some cases, lien foreclosure — to address unsafe, nuisance and dilapidated properties.

Thomas Register, a municipal code compliance inspector, said the department enforces "property safety codes, zoning codes, and sign ordinances," using citations and the Municipal Code Enforcement Board and, when necessary, civil court actions. "Sometimes we foreclose on the liens that are incurred by the city," he said.

Why the city sometimes moves to foreclosure, Register said, depends on whether other enforcement steps will achieve compliance and whether the administration determines foreclosure is required to get the property restored, demolished or otherwise addressed. "The end result, not that I'm aware of, is ever that the city wants that property — it's that they want that property to not be neglected," Register said.

Register described the range of timelines and remedies. Citations can require action within 24–48 hours; the Municipal Code Enforcement Board process requires 15–30 days' notice and a magistrate order before fines are levied, which can make that route slower. For emergency condemnations — for example after fire or collapse — the city may act more quickly. Register said recurring noncompliance can lead to court injunctions and, eventually, larger fines; he cited a case where fines had grown into the millions to compel corrective action.

Commissioners pressed on how the city decides which properties to foreclose and what happens after foreclosure. Register said his office initiates lien filings but that decisions to continue with foreclosure or to accept the property ultimately involve coordination with general counsel and the administration. He said that, in some foreclosures, the city has foreclosed only because no bidders came forward at the foreclosure sale.

Guy Perlman of the Downtown Investment Authority (DIA) described the three Duval Street structures the DIA received after the city moved to take them. Perlman said structural reports, historic preservation review and multiple inspections showed the buildings were in poor condition. "We requested the demolition because we got these properties that were in horrible condition," Perlman said. He said the DIA pursued demolition reluctantly after preservation review determined the buildings were not eligible for designation and repeated vandalism, fire and collapse made them hazardous.

Commissioners and staff discussed attempts to salvage historic elements. Register and other staff said they attempted to set aside architectural features during demolition, but some items were later stolen or went missing before the city could secure them. Register said the city lacks broad storage capacity and does not routinely save salvaged historic material unless specific arrangements exist.

Costs and follow-up: Commissioners were told the three demolitions cost in the neighborhood of tens of thousands of dollars each; estimates given in the meeting ranged from about $70,000–$110,000 for the group, with one speaker later recalling a $97,000–$110,000 estimate. The DIA explained that disposition of CRA-owned property follows a public process: when property is ready for sale or lease, the DIA issues public notice and accepts proposals, and the DIA board reviews respondents.

The presentation also covered how citizens can report dilapidated properties and receive updates. Register said complainants who provide contact information in the city's Majac reporting system should receive email, phone or text updates. He cautioned that if contact information is not provided, the system will still be updated but the complainant must check the Majac system or call back for status.

Several commissioners asked about obstacles to timely cleanup, and staff pointed to contractor and procurement issues (for example, a contractor's LLC name change causing contract default procedures) and to required asbestos surveys, which have delayed some non-historic demolitions.

Why it matters: Commissioners noted these properties were adjacent to daycare, church and school sites and that prolonged vacancy posed public-safety and blight concerns. The commission asked staff and DIA representatives to continue reporting back on disposition and on possible funding or storage options to preserve salvageable historic material in future cases.

Ending: The commission did not take a formal action on policy changes at the meeting; staff said any future disposition or funding proposals would follow administrative process and public notice procedures through the DIA and city administration.