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Code Enforcement
Ben Hill County believes that there is a need to
establish minimum standards governing the use,
occupancy, condition and maintenance of property,
dwellings, buildings, and structures. If left completely
unregulated, the failure to properly maintain property
can become a threat to public safety and a detriment to
property values.
Code enforcement and compliance is primarily the
responsibility of the Ben Hill County Code Enforcement
Officer. This officer is charged with enforcing the
various county ordinances related to property
maintenance such as junk cars, litter and trash, outdoor
storage. Besides finding the problems themselves, the
officer follows up on problems identified and referred
by the public.
While many of the code enforcement issues may seem
small, they have a tendency to grow and multiply when
not dealt with. When that happens, they become a
neighborhood issue and can give the impression that
nobody cares about the neighborhood or the condition of
the properties. The next thing you know, property values
are being affected, criminal activity begins to appear
or increase and the quality of life declines.
When problems are identified, the person responsible are
issued a Code Enforcement Warning Notice describing the
specific violations, the corrective action required and
a time limit for completion. In most cases, the
responsible parties correct the problems as requested.
When problems are not corrected, citations requiring an
appearance in magistrate court are issued. For most
violations, the ordinances specify that each day a
violation exists constitutes a separate offense. This
means that the failure to take corrective action in a
timely manner may result in multiple citations to court.
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