Thursday, November 3, 2011
Officials decided to lower the cost of the inspection after residents' complaints
Members of the Washington Township council approved an ordinance Tuesday that will require home sellers to pay for an inspection that would find any outstanding permits and safety hazards. The Certificate of Continued Occupancy (CCO) ordinance was first introduced in September, but after conducting the public hearing last month when residents complained about the $200 additional cost, officials tabled the measure. Tuesday, they continued discussion and ultimately decided to reduce the fee to $100. Council President Fred Goetz suggested lowering the fee to $50 since he believed it didn't cost the township $200 to conduct the inspection. He said the inspector gets paid $35 per hour. "The intent of this is public safety and looking out for …
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Washington Township councilmen tabled the measure amid criticism from residents
Members of the Washington Township council decided Monday to postpone a vote on the approval of an ordinance that would require an inspection of a dwelling prior to a sale or rental to ensure there are no outstanding permits or safety issues. Councilmen introduced the Certificate of Continued Occupancy (CCO) ordinance Sept. 26, which called for the seller or landlord to pay $200 to cover two inspections. It also included a fine of $100 per day if problems are not fixed within a given time frame. Some residents said they thought the $200 cost was too great, especially considering the already high taxes residents face. Resident Rosa D'Ambra said, "We are not your ATM machine." Council President Fred Goetz said that the $200 cost for sellers …
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
The Certificate of Continued Occupancy ordinance would require inspections of the principle structure before a sale
Washington Township councilmen unanimously voted Monday to introduce an ordinance that would require an inspection of a house before a sale or rental to ensure there are no outstanding permits or safety issues. The intent is to protect the buyer or occupant from unforeseen problems and expenses. If approved, the Certificate of Continued Occupancy (CCO) ordinance would require the seller to pay $200, which would cover two inspections. It also outlines a fine of $100 per day if the seller does not fix problems within the given time frame. Councilman Richard Hrbek said he thought the fine sounded a little harsh, but Township Attorney Kenneth Poller pointed out that the fine would only kick in if the seller allowed a temporary certificate of …
Dana Egbert
9:29 am on Friday, November 4, 2011
I cannot wait to vote out these bums. more ›