We all want to work hand in hand to be good neighbors, and live in a City we can be proud to call home. It's one of the nicest gifts we can give ourselves as a community.

By taking care of our property, we are all contributing to achieving that goal. If you have received a Public Nuisance Notice, hopefully your questions will be answered below. If you still have questions or concerns, please feel free to call the number listed below, or send an e-mail to the site also listed.

What are they for?

A Public Nuisance Notice is a citation issued by the City of Ogden for a property that has fallen out of compliance, as described in the City Ordinance. This notice states that the property owner has 15 days to cut the weeds down and/or clean the trash and debris throughout the entire property before any fines are given.

Who's complaining about my property?

Not all properties are complained about. The City has several inspectors who have the specific job of going through our streets, trying to locate those properties that need to be cut and/or cleaned. The average for complaint driven properties to be cleaned is only about 20%. When we do receive a call concerning a property, the caller remains anonymous.

My property isn't that bad.

The City Ordinance says that there shall not be any weeds or vegetation higher than 6" anywhere on the property, and this includes the fence lines. That the property shall be kept free and clear of trash and debris. This includes: piles of tree limbs, piles of old leaves, lumber, old car parts, furniture, etc.   This DOES NOT include cultivated bushes, flowers or vegetable gardens.

What about my Neighbor?

If you received a notice concerning your property, and your neighbor's yard is also out of compliance, the chances are very good that they will or have received a notice.

I don't have enough time.

If you cannot complete the work within the 15 day time period, and your reason is valid, the City can grant an Extension under certain guidelines. But you MUST call.

Repeated problems.

There will be only "1" Public Nuisance Notice written per year, and this notice is valid for the entire year. If the same property has additional offenses throughout the year, the fine will escalate to $200 and $300 respectively. Remember that this fine is in addition to any Contractor fees that may apply per each cleaning.

What do I have to do to get an Extension?

First, you must complete at least 50% of the work needing to be done, to show your good faith. Approx. 3 or 4 days before your reinspection date is due, call into the Fire Prevention Office and explain why you need an extension of time. At that point, ONLY one 7-day extension will be granted, and no fines will be issued so long as the work is done by the next reinspection date.

What penalties and fees am I looking at?

At the end of the 15-day period, if the property owner hasn't made any extension arrangements with the Zoning Inspection office, and the problem hasn't been corrected, there is an automatic $125.00 penalty placed against the property owner. The City then hires a Contractor to bring the property back into compliance. The property owner is then responsible for the Contractor's cleaning fees PLUS the $125.00 fine. If you cleaned the property after the 15 day period, and before the Contractor arrives, the fine is still issued, and the charged Contractor's fee will be minimal. The Contractor will bill $25.00 for taking his equipment to the property for work, and this, is then passed onto the property owner.

What happens now?

If you fall into the category of those that have penalties and fees billed to them, be aware that to ignore them means your property will have a lien placed against it. This amount will then be added onto your next year's property taxes. So please call when you receive the first notices if you feel there is an error.

If for any reason you have received penalties and fees, and strongly feel that they were unjustified, there is an appeal process available to you. To request a hearing for the appeal, you must call the City Recorders office. They will walk you through the process, and then send a letter to you stating the date and time for the hearing with the Fire Chief. His office is the only one that has the ability to decrease any of the penalties and fees, but you must be present at the hearing.

For questions or concerns, call 629-8961, or e-mail to chrisfolker@ci.ogden.ut.us.

For appeals, call the City Recorders office at 629-8152.