Article titles can be deceiving. Case in point: this is not another story about incompatibility (in terms of scale and character) of million-dollar post-demolition replacement homes. No, the controversial “eyesore” in question here is the house next door that is in dire need of repair and painting (i.e., yard gone wild with waste-high weeds, low-hanging tree limbs obstructing the sidewalk, etc.) If the owner of the property isn’t willing to do anything to rectify the situation, what recourse, if any, do concerned neighbors have? On the other hand—just as with the controversy over the comparatively oversized, high-priced new homes—the same question applies: What right do residents have to impose their standards on their next-door neighbors? After all, different strokes for different folks, right? Well, not so fast.
It turns out that the City of Portland has a Housing and Nuisance Code that provides a legal standard for filing a complaint against a neighbor whose property constitutes a “nuisance” to the community. Here’s an excerpt from that code:
Tall grass and weeds create hazards to neighborhood residents and contribute to an unkempt look and feel to a neighborhood. Tall grass can harbor trash and hazards which can be dangerous to neighborhood occupants and children. Pests are more comfortable in these overgrown conditions. A highly overgrown lot becomes very dry in the heat of summer and is a potential for a fire hazard. City Code requires that tall grass and weeds be kept under 10 inches in height. The City of Portland has enacted an ordinance requiring that all rental property have every-other-week garbage collection, and weekly recycling and composting service. This service must be subscribed to and paid for by the owner of the property. Owner-occupied properties are not required to have weekly garbage service, but are required to maintain their property in a clean condition. This ordinance has greatly contributed to the cleanliness of the City of Portland and thereby helped reduce the workload on inspectors. Specifically, the ordinance reads, “All exterior property areas shall be maintained in a clean and sanitary condition, free from any accumulation of rubbish or garbage.” In addition, the inspectors enforce the accumulation or storage of non-trash items such as appliances, building materials, furniture or other items not suited to outdoor use.
Implementation and enforcement of this ordinance are the responsibility of the Bureau of Development Services (BDS)—which, by the way, is also the agency that issues demolition permits. The nuisance complaint number is 503-823-7306, and there’s a “nuisance” page on the BDS website where you can access complaint forms.
But what if you don’t feel comfortable complaining to the City about your neighbor? Here’s a neighborly alternative: last year BWNA President John Sandie organized the “Beaumont-Wilshire Neighborhood Volunteer Group” (publicized in this newsletter), a cadre of big-hearted residents assisting needy neighbors with yard maintenance and home repair. Perhaps that neighbor of yours with the eyesore of a yard and house will be accepting and grateful for this free service. It’s worth a try.