Code Enforcement FAQs

Residents can register a complaint by calling the 311 department.

If the property has been brought through a code enforcement hearing and the owner did not make the repairs, liens are placed against the property and the judgment is sent to the New Orleans Redevelopment Authority to consider for expropriation. Currently Code Enforcement does not have funds to make repairs to properties. However the Environmental Health Department may be able to cut the grass and board the property.

If the property has not been brought through a code enforcement hearing, it has been registered with the Department and is scheduled for an inspection. The Department has been averaging eight hundred hearings a month (building a case against a property and prosecuting it takes an average of four to five hours). Despite this high volume, the amount of blight in the city means that it takes time to get to every complaint. However, the department recognizes that blight significantly decreases quality of life and it is working through every complaint that it has been sent.

If the property has been scheduled for a hearing, the hearing date and results are posted on the department’s website. If the property is not on the department’s website it is scheduled for an inspection. The department’s field supervisors are working through the inspection queue and assigning cases to inspectors.

With approximately 40,000 blighted properties in New Orleans that need to be processed, it is taking time to work through all of the complaints that the department is receiving. However, the department will get to every complaint.

Once the case is initiated, it can be complicated by outside circumstances. The owner may be deceased or they may not have given up to date contact information to the assessor’s office.

If the property has gone to a hearing and the owner did not make repairs, it can appear that the City did not respond to the complaint. Residents are encouraged to check the City’s website to see if this is the case for their property. If it is, the resident should contact their City Councilmember’s office to try and initiated expropriation by the New Orleans Redevelopment Authority.

Code Enforcement has 14 inspectors that process cases. The Department does not give out their names. Instead information about the cases they create is posted online and residents can speak with their field supervisors.

1. A complaint initiates a case.

2. The property is put in line for inspection.

3. The property is inspected and all violations are cited.

4. The property is scheduled for a hearing.

5. The property is brought through the hearing process (for a detailed explanation of the hearing process, see the left hand tab “An Explanation of the Hearing Process” on the Department’s main page).

6. If the owner makes the necessary repairs, the case is closed.

7. If the owner does not make repairs, the property is found guilty of a blight or public nuisance. Liens are placed on the property for the fines and fees assessed against the property.

8. If repairs are not made the case is sent to the New Orleans Redevelopment Authority to consider for expropriation.
   

The Code Enforcement Department works to ensure that owners do not abuse the Department’s case management system to get more time than they need.
By law the owner must be given at least 30 days from the date of notification to make repairs. After that the owner will only be given extensions if they show that they are making significant progress. Neighbors are encouraged to attend the hearings to identify if owners are misleading the hearing officer in order to get more time. Neighbors can also testify about why they don’t believe additional time should be granted.

The Department moves very quickly to demolish structures that are in imminent danger of collapsing. For a property that is blighted but not in danger of collapsing, the department considers demolition based on the severity of the blight. Given the city’s limited financial resources and commitment to protecting the long term architectural make up of the city, not every property can be demolished. When the department does initiate demolition, a stringing notification and independent review process must be met

Properties to be inspected are identified in a number of ways.
Many are identified by complaints. Others are identified through “sweeps.” During a sweep the department inspects every property within the sweep area, which is generally 6 by 6 blocks. The first areas that are being swept are the Target Areas and Housing Opportunity Zones (for a map of these areas, go to the main page of the Code Enforcement Website).

Yes. The department is committed to eventually inspecting every property in New Orleans.

If a property is found guilty at a code enforcement hearing, it can be charged a $75 hearing fee, a $500 blight fee and $100 to $500 a day. The City can also move to demolish or seize the property.

Yes. The City is required to pay fair market value for the property. However, this price will be significantly lower than the owner could get if the owner repaired the property and sold it themselves.

Generally, the Code Enforcement Department enforces housing standards. The department inspects all aspects of the property, including grass, debris, walls, roofs, driveways, sheds, porches and drainage. For a complete explanation of the City’s housing standards, go to “The City’s Housing Standards” section of the main page of the code enforcement tab.

Lots without structures on them are usually inspected and prosecuted by the Health Department. The Health Department also works with the Mosquito and Pest Control to address unsecured and unhealthy pools. Zoning violations are handled by the Safety and Permits Department. The numbers for all of these departments are in the “Useful City numbers” section of the code enforcement main page.