I just got off the phone with our local housing compliance inspector. There were several orders on my most recent rehab from the previous owner. I had taken care of 12/13 of them when she came to do a re-inspection. (These were all on the exterior. I've done a heckuva lot more on the inside--it was a gut job.)

She added on four more items that weren't on the first orders, but told me that they were basically leverage to ensure compliance and implied that they would go away if the missing item was taken care of.

And then she mentioned that an interior inspection would be necessary since the house had been vacant so long.

Does the city have the right to force an interior inspection? My city doesn't require a CO. Tenants have been living there for six months. Seems like "unreasonable search". What if the tenants were to refuse entry? I'm not worried about what she'll find, but I DO object to intrusive government snooping. WWYD?

In Los Angeles California, the Housing Department and Code Compliance are corrupt as a three dollar bill. Since 1992, "Departments" need to supplement their income, or face lay offs, limited raises or cut back in hours. So instead of an inspector/supervisor giving up their mistress, the screw over landlords with contradictory orders and violations -- leading to substantial fines.

I've been a real estate investor since March 1978 and multi-licensed contractor with abatement credentials since the early 1980's. I have to fight the City at every turn. And when a real City, County or State Judges says, "If I have documentation on City Letter Heads, signed, admitting the City is at fault, the Judge will issue me a money Judgement covering my cost, damages and legal fee's. I had the Judge a Signed Notarized Document laying out the City's Mistakes and them apologizing for them. Then the City's counsel makes a gustier of his head getting cut off, and the Judge takes the case under advisement going to issue his verdict soon. A few days later the Judge calls me into his chambers. The Mayor and City Attorney said if he issues me a verdict, so much as 1 cent, he would not make it to retirement.

Each time I prevail and have a small win, the City goes all out and orders inspections on all my properties.

So at this point I don't give a dam. I told the City that I'm ready for them, having a collection of 150 to 200 guns. Been to court three times now that the City wants my collection. That Judge asked if I'm crazy. I told him being a contractor with employee's, I have many Spray Guns, Caulking Guns, Paint Guns, Nail Guns and so on....

Robin,

I teach that

1. inspectors and judges never die so be nicey nicey because they will be back and like elephants remember the LLs who make their life easy. Be the EASIEST, most COOPERATIVE LL in town.

With a good repoire they will be more lenient in the future.

2. Because they are govt employees their first job is make work to justify their job. So yes, they will continue to add to the list.

3. Your first encounter with a new to you inspector will be tough. They feel they have to assert their authority from the get go.

We can claim Bill of Rights unreasonable search etc but they don't give a flip. THEY are the law.

4. Just get everything fixed - gotta do it anyway - broken glass, smoke detectors, trip hazards, handrails...

Play innocent, ask for a little extra time because your handyman cannot start until ____.

Our city has a short one page checklist of basic housing standards.

Thanks to an overly enthusiastic new parole officer turned city inspector DEMANDING I open the door right now and let her into an occupied home without notice, treating me like I was some kind of escaped drug dealer, she found and got an INSPECTOR's WARRANT signed by a judge within 24 hours and brought along 2 police officers. I truly felt like I was living in a Robert J post!

Play nice and ask for grace so you can make sure everything is safe.

BRAD

My gut tells me that they maybe breaking the 4th amendment. So I would ask them for the probable cause (PC) and ask to confer with your attorney about said PC.

I like a good fight and it is easy to document how code enforcement is wrong!

But, a code enforcement officer came and talked to our landlord group and she said to cooperate with code enforcement - do not fight with code enforcement.

She said they remember the difficult landlords and give them “special” attention.

The judge is a city employee and will always be on the side of code enforcement.

As much as I hate to say it, cooperate with the inspector!

Was the one item that had four added to it an interior item that they knew about before you took over?

If so then it might be best to just fix it and let them in. One time only. If they start finding new things and hounding you then I would shine them on.

We had a tough guy inspector. He caused more properties to be demolished than an EF5 tornado in a trailer park.

He would bully people into letting him inside for inspections. No warrant and no reason.

Bonanza, Robin mostly is NOT in Wisconsin. I think she’s been in Indiana or Ohio for a dozen years or more, and most properties are there, not Milwaukee. I could be wrong, this property could be here. I’ve had some silly encounters with inspectors in Milwaukee, mostly where they didn’t know enough about construction materials, building structures. I do try to do as Brad describes- fix things, as I would anyway. But fix them to MY standard which was correct; the inspector’s suggestion was oblivious to the actual danger.