Violations and Property Maintenance
Codes Enforcement
The Inspection Services Department promotes healthy neighborhoods through enforcement activities that focus on both residential and commercial properties throughout the city. The objective of the division is to enforce building, maintenance and health codes as they pertain to property upkeep and the elimination of health hazards caused by the presence of garbage or other adverse exterior conditions.
Vegetation
Junk / Trash / Property Maintenance
Unrelated Occupancies
You can submit any possible property violations concerns using the Auburn FixIt app
The Process
The Codes Enforcement process begins when a citizen calls in a complaint, a letter or online complaint is received, or other city departments or entities make a complaint, initiating the process. All complaints are investigated and verified by a Codes Enforcement Officer and if a violation exists, the officer will take further action toward obtaining voluntary compliance.
Warning Notices
When code violations are verified to exist, a written warning may be left at the violation site, hand delivered or mailed to a violator or property owner. The warning explains the type of violation(s) that exist and specifies a certain number of days given for the violation to be corrected to comply with the City of Auburn adopted codes and ordinances. Failure to correct violations within the specified time period may result in the violator(s) being issued a civil citation to appear in the City of Auburn Court for each violation.
Residents should call the Inspection Services Office at (334) 501-3170 with any questions. A re-inspection of the property will take place to determine if the violation(s) have been corrected.
Enforcement Action
If a violator or property owner does not meet compliance, they shall be subject to prosecution in accordance with Section 106.3 of the 2015 International Property Maintenance Code and as prescribed by the authority having jurisdiction. Upon failure to comply with the notice of violation, any duly authorized employee of the jurisdiction or contractor hired by the jurisdiction shall be authorized to enter upon the property in violation and abate the violation. The costs of such removal shall be paid by the owner or agent responsible for the property.
Common Code Violations
Building Permits - City of Auburn Code chapter 5 Article III
- Any owner or owner’s authorized agent who intends to construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, demolish or change the occupancy of a building or structure, or to erect, install, enlarge, alter, repair, remove, convert or replace any electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing system, the installation of which is regulated by this code, or to cause any such work to be performed, shall first make application to the building official and obtain the required permit.
Working Outside Allowable Working Hours - City of Auburn Code chapter 5 section 5-2 (single-family, commercial and multifamily districts.)
- No construction work, including any site preparation work, any assembly, erection, demolition, alteration, repair or similar activity, or the operation of any construction equipment which is attended by noise shall begin before 7:00 a.m. on any construction project in a single-family neighborhood or in any commercial or multifamily district that is adjacent to a single-family neighborhood. No construction work as described above shall begin before 6:00 a.m. on any construction project in commercial or multifamily districts not adjacent to single-family subdivisions. No construction work as described above shall continue after 7:00 p.m. on any construction project.
- Work on construction projects that is not attended by noise and which does not, disturb, annoy, injure or endanger the comfort, repose, health, peace or safety of reasonable persons of ordinary sensibilities may be performed at any time. Examples of such work include painting, cleaning and similar activities.
- This section shall not apply to the normal operation of domestic power tools by home occupants.
- This section shall not apply to emergency work by public service utilities and government entities.
- This section shall not apply to construction work on public projects including, but not limited to, the excavation and repair of streets and highways authorized by the city manager.
- In the case of urgent necessity, the city manager may permit construction work and the operation of construction equipment to continue between the hours of 7:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. Such permit may be granted upon application being made for a period not to exceed five (5) days and may be renewed for periods up to five (5) days.
- Any person in violation of this section of the City of Auburn Code will be subject to penalties as set forth in section 1-9 of that Code.
On Street Parking
- Auburn City Code Chapter 5 section and Chapter 22 section 22-26 - It shall be unlawful to leave any vehicle on any public street or other public way in the city for more than seventy-two (72) hours.
- Auburn City Code Chapter 5 section and Chapter 22 section 22-26 - Parking or storage of any commercial motor vehicle, utility trailer, or semi-trailer greater than seven (7) feet wide or twenty-five (25) feet long including but not limited to the following: construction equipment (bulldozers, graders etc.), semi-tractors and/or trailers, moving vans, delivery trucks, flat-bed and stake-bed trucks, buses (except school buses), and similar vehicles over seven (7) feet wide or twenty-five (25) feet long shall not be permitted on any public street, alley or other public way except as follows:
- Loading and unloading not to exceed twenty-four (24) hours.
- In connection with properly permitted construction not to exceed seventy-two (72) hours.
- In connection with the operation of an adjacent business not to exceed seventy-two (72) hours and provided the street is at least thirty-one (31) feet wide.
Structure Numbering
- Section 319.1 International Residential & section 501.2 International Building Codes - Buildings shall be provided with approved address identification. The address identification shall be legible and placed in a position that is visible from the street or road fronting the property. Address identification characters shall contrast with their background. Address numbers shall be Arabic numbers or alphabetical letters. Numbers shall not be spelled out. Each character shall be not less than 4 inches (102 mm) in height with a stroke width of not less than 0.5 inch (12.7 mm). Where required by the fire code official, address identification shall be provided in additional approved locations to facilitate emergency response. Where access is by means of a private road and the building address cannot be viewed from the public way, a monument, pole or other sign or means shall be used to identify the structure. Address identification shall be maintained.
- Section 304.3 International Property Maintenance Code- Buildings shall have approved address numbers placed in a position to be plainly legible and visible from the street or road fronting the property. These numbers shall contrast with their background. Address numbers shall be Arabic numerals or alphabet letters. Numbers shall be not less than 4 inches (102 mm) in height with a minimum stroke width of 0.5 inch (12.7 mm).