Mayor Nutter: Philadelphia 'Sick And Tired Of Blight'
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The city of Philadelphia has announced new initiatives to fight blight. Mayor Michael Nutter held a press conference in Port Richmond on Wednesday afternoon to put all Philadelphia property owners on notice.
"If you don't have your property up to Philadelphia's code and you are not in compliance, we are coming for you! Philadelphia residents should not have to put up with this crap anymore. In our city we are sick and tired of being sick and tired about blight and deteriorated properties, in this city we have had enough!"
According to licenses and inspection, there are between 17,000 – 20,000 vacant properties in the city of Philadelphia . Letters will be sent to property code violators from L&I. If there isn't compliance, a court hearing notice will be issued with a dedicated court time.
L&I officials has the ability to ask the court to fine the owner $300 a day per opening for not putting in doors or windows.
According to L&I, so far about 80 owners of properties have been taken to court and agreements are underway where owners are putting windows and doors in, or they'll be back in court in a month. and the court has issued $150 thousand in fines all ready in just those 80 properties.
Reported by John McDevitt, KYW Newsradio
