Neighbor Complaints to Code Enforcement Violation Issue

[Jusjokin]

My question involves real estate located in the State of: AZ: wallbang: I hope I have this in the right forum. We received another notice of code violation. The previous ones were different from this last one.
We received another notice of Code violation today dated 1/4/11. My husband called and left a message for them to respond. We are confused about this one. We have lived in the city of Avondale since 1993 without any problems. Now it appears that every month we are getting a notice. On the notice it states two things one of which the Sun Screens on the front porch, which are removable (they are just hanged up and are there to cut down sun glare coming into home. The city called them tarps. The 2nd is the landscape fencing (which is redwood) they want now to be painted. First we are just barely hanging on and do not have the funds to paint the fence which has been up like that for well over 3 or more years without any complaints until now. But why NOW? Since it was not mention the last time nor the very first time? This is the first time it was ever brought up.
In this time that many homeowners are barely hanging on I would think that Cities would be of more assistance in providing help to residents instead of causing additional headaches for us, heartaches, and stressed. Can cites try to site issues not previously cited? If that is the case that this may go on forever since we have been here for over 15 yrs.

[SChinFChin]

My question involves real estate located in the State of: AZ: wallbang: I hope I have this in the right forum. We received another notice of code violation. The previous ones were different from this last one.
We received another notice of Code violation today dated 1/4/11. My husband called and left a message for them to respond. We are confused about this one. We have lived in the city of Avondale since 1993 without any problems. Now it appears that every month we are getting a notice. On the notice it states two things one of which the Sun Screens on the front porch, which are removable (they are just hanged up and are there to cut down sun glare coming into home. The city called them tarps. The 2nd is the landscape fencing (which is redwood) they want now to be painted. First we are just barely hanging on and do not have the funds to paint the fence which has been up like that for well over 3 or more years without any complaints until now. But why NOW? Since it was not mention the last time nor the very first time? This is the first time it was ever brought up.
In this time that many homeowners are barely hanging on I would think that Cities would be of more assistance in providing help to residents instead of causing additional headaches for us, heartaches, and stressed. Can cites try to site issues not previously cited? If that is the case that this may go on forever since we have been here for over 15 yrs.

If you are violating particular municipal ordinances, then neighbors can call to complain to have it taken care of.

I own rentals in a neighboring county, and some tenants of mine does such things as NOT mow the lawn, or park commercial vehicles in the driveway, both in violation of municipal ordinances. I happen to know the neighbor across the street, a nosy woman, and I asked her as a favor if she would keep an eye on the place and call me up if she has any problems or heard of anything.

On a few occasions in the last 25 years, she had called me to say the neighbors spoke to the various tenants, who refused to mow, or refused to move the commercial vehicles, and I was told neighbors would call code enforcement and I would be cited. It is true that I have seen other lawns in the area not mowed nicely, and commercial vehicles parked on other streets, but the complaint is about MY PROPERTY, not the others.

On the other hand, you might have neighbors with a vendetta, and a friend of mine had awnings installed without a permit. a code which everyone violated. Code enforecement came to cite him, not everyone else, he complained, and they told him they had no complaints about the others, only about him.

So he asked if he can file a complaint about everyone in the neighborhood in that case, and code enforcement told him he can. But when code enforecment heard what he was about to do, they thought better of it, and then decided not to cite him.

I can't tell if you are violating any ordinances, or if you are the only one. Beleive me, when people spent good money to keep the neighborhood up, they feel insulted when my tenants don't mow the lawn or park commercial vehicles there. They tell me that if my tenant cannot afford to fix his lawn mower or find a spot to park his vehicle is my problem, and my tenants, not theirs.

Just to add, I had spoken to various code endorcement people through the years, and they tell me everyone tells them "they're hanging on by their fingernails", and they tell me in these cases, they tell people: "complain to city hall", it's not a code enforcement issue.