Fort Worth Building Standards Commission plows through two-month agenda, hears 29 cases

The Fort Worth commission responsible for determining whether properties and buildings comply with city codes, ordering noncompliant property owners to make repairs or demolish their properties, and approving fines for noncompliance, worked through 29 cases over nearly six hours at its Sept. 22 hearing. By the time it was over, only enough commissioners to make a quorum were present. One commissioner appeared to fall asleep during a hearing on one of the cases, and subsequently recused himself from a vote.

Documenters empowers people like you to help fill the gaps in reporting on Tarrant County public meetings. Find out how you can join here.

The unusually lengthy agenda was caused mainly by the cancellation of the Building Standards Commission’s regularly scheduled August meeting, which failed to achieve a necessary quorum of commission members. As an 11-member body, six members constitute a quorum. Without a quorum, the commission is legally prohibited from conducting city business. The September meeting, which started with nine members, dwindled to six by the time Chairman Brian Black adjourned the session.

Twenty cases were removed from the agenda for various reasons before the meeting.

Among the 29 cases the commissioners heard, 14 involved first-time actions on single-family residences. The cases included a combination of homes seriously damaged by fire and left to deteriorate and homes with yards filled with old furniture and appliances, tires, car parts, bagged garbage and other miscellaneous rubbish ranging from children’s bicycles to a rusted trampoline and wood siding.

The board agreed with city code compliance officers that all 12 of the properties were substandard and hazardous, and gave the owners in each case 30-90 days to bring their buildings up to code or demolish them.

At the end of that period, the city has the right to demolish structures if significant improvements or demolition haven’t occurred. Owners have the right at the end of their window to request an extension.

Two of the cases heard at the September meeting were first-time actions on small multifamily residences. Both properties were deemed to be hazardous and substandard. The owners, who had purchased the properties in the last several months, were given 30 days to repair or demolish one property and 60 days for the other.

Owners of multifamily residences also have the right to request an extension when the time to repair or demolish their properties expires.

The commission heard six requests from city code compliance officers to approve fines in cases where property owners failed to meet commission orders to make improvements or demolish their property.

The approved fines, called administrative civil penalties, ranged from $2,150 to $8,800. In each case, the property owner was also given 30 days to remove the cause of the penalty or have the property demolished.

In four cases, property owners sought to have the commission overturn previous orders for repairs or demolition of their properties. Only one owner was present to speak before the commission, which denied all four requests. However, the owners have 30 days after the denial to appeal the decision to the State District Court or have the properties torn down. After 30 days, the city can tear down the houses.

Finally, in three cases, property owners requested that the commission reverse civil penalties imposed against them, claiming they had brought the properties into compliance with the city code. All four requests were approved.

Lou Chapman is a member of the Fort Worth Report’s Documenters crew.

To read more about the specific cases, click here.

If you believe anything in these notes is inaccurate, please email us at news@fortworthreport.org with “Correction Request” in the subject line.