California: Oakland Local Gov't Threatens 102 Year Old Man w/ Fines For Not Cleaning Up Graffiti (drug, fence)
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You either have to go after ALL buildings that have graffiti or none of them. They can't selectively enforce the code.
How do you know the city hasn't done exactly that? Are you privy to all the code enforcement complaints within the city of Oakland, and their outcomes?
Most cities have neighborhood blight enforcement. Someone probably called and complained his family can't take some paint rollers and paint over it?
Part of the problem is the laziness of the property owners allow it look at those properties trash, and broken down cars all over their property.
Perhaps you misunderstood or just didn't bother to read the article. We aren't talking about some guy having a car on his lawn, or just dumping a bunch of beer bottles all over his porch. He had someone ILLEGALLY vandalize his property with graffiti and now he is the one in trouble. This guy is 102(almost 103) years old, in a wheelchair, and before he was wheelchair bound did go out and clean up the graffiti. So I don't think I would classify this guy as lazy.
MOST cities have programs where people convicted of graffiti are also required to perform "Community Service" and clean it up. But apparently not in Oakland. Not sure if cost is an issue, but have you seen the cost for a gallon of paint? A halfway decent exterior paint will run you $40-$60/gallon and we have no idea how much graffiti this guy has to cover.
Let this had happened to a Gen Z-er they would have been like, "why isn't that young whippersnapper outside with a bucket of hot water and soap, the nerve"
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"The man who sleeps on the floor, can never fall out of bed." -Martin Lawrence
Wheelchair user, Oakland-born, 102-year-old, Victor Silva, Sr. often finds graffiti painted onto the back fence of his Oakland home. He has lived here and paid taxes for 80 years.
Earlier this month, he got a violation citation from the City of Oakland to remove it by Tuesday the 19th or face an $1100 fine, plus an additional $1277 for each failed re-inspection.
"It was so absurd, it's like a joke. If you drive around the city and see the graffiti everywhere, it's just I don't know what to say," said daughter-in-law Elena Silva.
...
The family owns a nearby small commercial which has been broken into three times in the last year. On one occasion, Silva Jr. found a person inside. In each case, he called 911.
"And I'm put on hold every time. So it's hard to understand where our tax dollars are going. They can't answer 911, but they can come out and hassle you about a fence?"
Once this hit the news, an inspector called the news station and said they would cancel the citation.
I think it's obvious where the taxpayer money is going, into the politicians' pockets and their friends and family who are "consultants."
Wait a minute here ... The property owner here is the one violating city codes; the city of Oakland is only enforcing them.
Shouldn't this property owner be following the law?
Why is his age an issue?
Shouldn't he be pulling himself up by his own bootstraps and maintaining his own property?
Devil's advocate points to ponder. Code enforcement can be a pain, and sometimes the codes enforced seem illogical or downright stupid or superfluous, but it's a necessary measure that protects all property owners' investments. Usually code enforcement is easy to appeal to, as long as you don't get your panties in a knot about it. Code enforcement staff has a job to do, just like the rest of us.
If the city was doing their job of arresting the graffiti makers and fining them and forcing them to clean up their messes via community service then they would be able to complain. But they don't even arrest the people who commit thefts much less arrest and fine vandals. They lost all that revenue from fining criminals and are trying to make it up by fining the innocent citizens who have no control over this.
Of course blame the victim...never mind the criminals that are actually doing the graffiti.
Perhaps instead of "Code Enforcement" they should focus on "Law Enforcement".
Yes, exactly!
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