The Code Enforcement Officer is outraged and pissed-off. He is mad at me. He has been working with me on Notice of Violation. I have complied with everything what he has identified. However, he is not satisfied. I asked him for extension and he gave me the one.

After going through the outside of property, he wants to come to inside of the property to look for possible code violation. He asked me to file for a Permit for the kitchen in the basement I did apply.

He was waiting on for me to schedule a call for inspection of basement. Accordingly, I reached out to my tenant but the tenant but the tenant is not cooperating. I wanted to call the Officer and let him know the situation. However, he called me today. He said that he is at the property and noticed additional violations. His tone sounded like he was really pissed off. He thinks that I am not taking things seriously and trying to avoid him.

He told me to come to County Office and meet with his Supervisor. He said that if I do not show up and meet in person then he will issue a citation. He said that the only way to avoid citation is to come to Office and talk to his Supervisor.

What should I do?

So be it.

I am concerned that his tone was harsh and threatening. He was frustrated and thought I am not cooperating with him.

Two moths ago, he came to my rental house and gave Notice of Violation for poor condition of yard. I took care of everything that he had asked to do in that notice.

He asked me if I am renting basement separately, which I admitted. He asked me if there is a kitchen and I admitted. The next day he sent me an email stating that there is no Permit on file for basement and I have to get one. I did apply for Permit and the permit is asking few more questions, its a long process.

Code Enforcement in Gwinnett County is part of Planning & Development (P&D). P&D has another division that does internal inspections, building codes and permits but the Officers are different.

He asked me to schedule a visit so that he can take pictures of interior. I reached to my tenant but the tenant did not cooperate. The tenant thinks he will be evicted and is not responding. That is why I could not respond to the officer about the visit and schedule.

Meanwhile, because there was a delay on my part, the Officer showed up again today on the property. He called me and was furious. He says that you did not take care of things and asked me to meet him at the office.

She just "doesn't want to allow..."

Too bad - didn't she sign a rental agreement that spells that out?

I would go meet them, explain the situation & cite LL/Tenant law - try to get them on my side. Or at least neutral. "I know you're frustrated, I am too, yada yada, we are working together for the same goal of safe housing, etc..."

And say something that sounds tenant friendly, like " I didn't want to force my way into her home if I didn't have to." (Surely they are sympathetic to the "tenant crisis".)

This has been going on for about 3 weeks now. Everything is mentioned in the lease but the tenant does not want to follow. I gave enough notices and opportunity but the tenant does not want to cooperate.

Thank you all who responded. Your responses are valuable to me.

Mike [TX], I agree I am letting my tenants to run over me. I need to be in driving seat.

I feel you pain. Here in Los Angeles, CA, the City passed an ordnance establishing the Systematic Code Enforcement Program. Every apartment, not owned by the city, will be inspected every once every 3 to 5 years. They said they were going to hire 100 new inspectors, but really transferred 83 inspectors from other departments.

So when I kept on getting violations and told how to comply, I had to put an Halt to things. Being a "Licensed Contractor", I had to comply with "Health and Safety" concerns before doing what the city told me to do.

Finally after telling my inspector, his supervision, the chief inspector, the General Manager, the County Health Department and so on "That they were wrong", I finally made it before a real California Judge, not some self apportioned clown.

Various member of "government" lied, altered official documents,etc to make me look guilty.

So I "proved" that I was more qualified to make determinations over "code". I had a Ham Radio License. In electrical degree from City College at age 10, and several City, State and Federal Licenses as well.

So I won that Battle, but lost the war. Over the last 20 years I have been bulled by the City.

So if were you I'd get an estimate or A bid from licensed contractor in that field on "How to Comply".

The last county code enforcer we had was a real pain. He was a bully for sure. One of his favorite things was to get a place labeled unsafe and then demolished.

I had an empty place with a bad window. The wood sash gave out and the pane fell out from upstairs. Nosy neighbor turned it in and I set up a date for the inspector to meet me. I had two weeks.

Went in and fixed the window then cleaned out the place. I was using it for storage. When the guy called to say he was coming over he mentioned that he would work with me on violations.

Umm, how do you know there are violations? He said there is always something. I claimed witch hunt.

He came over, even though he couldn't legally go in without a warrant. After the inspection he was walking outside and saw a section of guttering that was missing. He said I had to get that fixed. I asked what the code was on it. He said there isn't one.

I fought with that guy for a couple years. He didn't care that he bullied people into doing things they didn't need to. Getting houses destroyed just takes them off the tax rolls, but he still got paid.

He flagged my current place as uninhabitable. After I rehabbed it I wanted to invite him in to see what he was going to have destroyed. Fortunately he retired early and I didn't get to reignite a new fire.

Oh and on topic.... you need to see inside the place. If your tenant has a problem with that then start looking for a new tenant.

Also I would call the supervisor and plead your case. Small time LL trying to do the right thing but has a day job as well. It might work out for you.

I called the Officer and explained to them the situation. I told them that I cannot meet at property because tenant is not allowing to inspect the interior.

They are asking me to come to their office to 'explain and show'. I do not know what they can explain and show when the property is somewhere else. If they want to explain then they can do that over phone. But I do not see a reason to show up in person. Is that a trap to get someone arrested?

When I showed my inability to show up at their office, they are now coming to my house. They want to meet me at my house and 'Explain me'. I am doubtful about that explanation that cannot be done over phone.

They did not mention anything about Summons. They just want to 'explain' which I do not know why they cannot do over phone.

The Officer called and explained me that they were able to get inside the property. May be the tenant had arranged without my involvement.

The Officer is telling me that there are many violations and the list is long. He wants to meet me to explain. He says that the meeting is to help me understand all code violations with pictures. I asked him to send me a list and he got mad. He says that if I do not meet him then he will have no choice but to issue Citations. So what do you want, meet me or should I send you citations?

He wanted to check if I have a kitchen in the basement and wanted to check if it complies with the code.

Anyway, he had Planning & Development Inspector with him. They have seen bunch of violations inside the house.

The Officer wants to meet me in person and go over them. I called his Supervisor. He stated that it is a norm to go over the details in person when the case is complicated.

In the worst case, they will issue Citation or fine/penalty but nothing more than that, that too, if I fail to comply within certain time.

There really shouldn't be any down side to meeting with them. If they were going to issue a citation then they can do that with or without you meeting with them. The only caution I have is to listen and limit your response to acknowledging what they are saying, don't commit to things you can't complete, or admit that you did any work on the place.

There are some interesting replies here.

I liked the response from RB[TN]. Need to sell the property if I cannot manage.

NE[PA], I hear you. You have lot of questions. But they came in to check the house for the kitchen in the basement that needs to be built per the code.

I did not make any modification to the house. I bought it as it was built from a guy who was a part-time home remodeler and full time house construction teacher who taught building codes.

Arguing with an inspector is sorta like wrestling with a pig in mud. The more you do it, the more they enjoy it and it only gets messy for one party - the other doesn't care.

Set up a morning meeting.

Take notes. Be kind. Ask questions but do not agree to do anything. Maybe just say that you will take it under advisement and seek the opinions of a skilled professional.

If you find out that the tenant is causing the havoc then simply non-renew. Actually you might have to boot her because your apartment is not legal.

Figure out what they say you must do. Then run the numbers to see if it makes sense to dump the money and time into it. If not then you have a SFH again.

Ray-N-Pa you are right about it. They say that a finished basement in a SFH cannot be separately rented. I did and I am being asked to stop.

NE [PA] I found out, the tenant was informant because I objected that they have a guest who is living with her over 2 months. I asked that to be stopped else face eviction. She called the County to make things worst for me. Needless to say, she will have to leave. So, technically, the officers entered without my permission or without a notice to me.

Zero [IN] yes, agreed. But certain repairs must be done. Actually, if I do those TLCs then it will prep my house to be sold, then sell the place so that I do not have to worry about that house. The county has the house in their records but I will be out of it.

LLC is for protecting from creditors not for Code Enforcement Officers. They go by house and its history. They are definitely after me. The only way for me to be out of this mess is get everyone out, fix the place and rent to a single family.

I stopped reading many of the replies. In general,I ask nice once or twice and then post notice as well as text that I will be entering on X date between X hours.Take apc of it as eell.

NE, that is a scheme that a few people have done around here. QC the property into another entity and the code guys have to start the paperwork all over again.

I guess if the guys were hounding you for no reason but if you are in the wrong, you are in the wrong.

I consider from a different perspective. I just have to fix the items that they have found and then invite them to reassess. In the long run, its my property that is being fixed and is as per the regulatory requirement. I may not have put the attention to areas that needs to be fix those things.

I'm sorry that you have to deal with your City Code Enforcement Department. I have posted here on Mr. Landlord many similar posts, but no one believes this is happening to me in Los Angeles, CA.

I am a California State Licensed Contractor with a A & B General License, Plumbing C-36, Electrical C-10 and 5 other trades. I'm also licensed to deal with and abate Mold, Lead and Asbestos. But Code Enforcement Dictates how I'm supposed to handle these "Violations".

If I refused to do as I'm told by the City Code Inspector or his Chief Boss Inspector, the fine is $500 per month. But if I expose my tenants, managers or employees to "toxins", the EPA will fine me $37,500 per day. I have been to hearings, the General Managers Hearings, Superior Court, State court and Hearings with the County Health Department.

I purchased my first rental, a 3+2 with a heated pool in Canoga Park, 91307, at age 18!

If you look up my posts here on Mr. Landlord, around 50% of the people from other parts of the country think I'm crazy, a liar and make up my posts -- others believe me.

You ask what you should do? Have hidden camera's with audio recorders. Has a sign outside your rentals saying, "You are on being recorded by video surveillance".

I one was having the SCEP Systematic Code Enforcement Program inspect my 16 unit in Silver Lake, CA. The inspector's appointment was for 12:00PM. He showed up early, so I told him that 2 of the apartments have minor children without their parents. They will be here shortly for the 12:00 appointment. Can the inspector please inspect the other 14 units first, then go back to the other two. The inspector agreed and asked which units to inspect later. I told him unit #1 and unit #14.

So the City Code Enforcement Inspector knocked on unit #1, saying "immigration, open up"! I told the children in Spanish do NOT OPEN THE DOOR. But they did. So on my cell phone I called 911. This was before the pandemic and when the police did their jobs, unlike today. I told the dispatch that someone was pretending to be a immigration official and the forced unsupervised children, ages 6 and 10, to open their apartment.

The police came within minutes. The Inspector said he did not say that and that I pushed him. The handcuffs went on me, but I had a smile. I told the police that unit #1 is next to the mailboxes. And since we've had break-ins and we've had lost mail, the smoke detector over head is really a hidden video camera. So we walked down the haul to a locked closet. The cuffs were removed and I played the security tape. Sure enough I explained how the inspector should wait for the parents, and he knocked on the door saying emigration.

The police called the City attorney, they took my only copy of the incident. NO charges were ever filed against the City Inspector and my video tape was "lost". Since then I always have a back up hard drive.

On Tuesday May 13th at 11:00 am a Code Enforcement inspector, Adrian Gauthier (his office at 6400 Lauren Canyon Blvd., Suite 610, North Hollywood, CA 91606) His personal phone 818-756-1429, showed up for a Code Inspection of a rental property. Two apartment buildings on one large lot.

Since the failed to give me a 30 day notification, or post a notice on my building, I refused the inspection. We had a screaming match. Under his breath he said he knows how to get me! I replied that the Los Angeles City Attorney and the LAPD have already taken me to court three times trying to confiscate my Guns for threatening tenants and City Officials. I was charged with 7 counts. And I told Mr. Adrian Gauthier that I won. I proved 6 counts/charges were lies made up by Free Legal Tenant Aid and the City Attorney. And the Seventh count, having an arsenal of "guns" was true, 150 to 200 guns. But since I'm a licensed contractor, my 150 or so guns were nail guns, glue guns, screw guns, paint guns and so on..... That shut him up, but he said he would be back next week. I told him that I still need 30 days to begin the upgrades. He said he did not care. I told him that I've owned income property for almost 48 years and been a licensed contractor for about the same time. I know all of the current and past codes-- that the NEW LAW is that I do not have to let anyone on my property, unless you have a search warrant. Not singed by your supervisor, mistress or dog, only a real sitting Judge. He live pissed.

These are the things I have to deal with. Worse than you hve too. But I am a Jeweler with a CCW carry permit since 1978, and taken martial arts from world champions like Bill Supper Foot Wallace, PKA undefeated middle weight --7 years running. I took lessons from him back in the early 1980's. I you or anyone see's Bill, his in his early 80's, ask about Robert the Jeweler, Los Angeles. He calls me his friend.

The City of LA is only a money making machine, for themselves. Landlords could not evict tenants for non-payment of rent from 2/1/2020 thru 3/1/2024. And now with the fires from January if the tenant self certified themselves as fire effective.

I have Dennis Block and other real estate attorney's on speed dial. With me every week is something or another. A roofing inspector refused to pass the roof wood replacement, hours before a rain. I had over $10,000 water damage.....