New bylaw to deal with unkempt houses
NORWOOD - Dilapidated and unkempt, a house on Nellie Road stands in stark contrast to other well-kept houses in the area.
The house is an eyesore and has left residents concerned about its general state. But now residents can breathe a sigh of relief with news that a new bylaw dealing with abandoned or dilapidated properties has been approved.
The law, Problem Properties law, will give the City of Johannesburg the power to take control of abandoned or illegally occupied properties.
For unkempt houses, this would mean that the city council would be able to compel the owner to fix it or assume control of it should it be illegally occupied.
According to Marcelle Ravid, ward councillor for Norwood, such houses are not a common sight in Norwood.
“In such instances these houses have been rented out to tenants who do not look after the property or they have been reclaimed by the bank,” she said.
She added that current procedure included sending an inspector to assess the house and giving the owner notice to fix it. If the owner failed to comply, they could be fined by the city council.
Ward 74 councillor, Jack Cooper added that the bylaw was a more stringent measure to fix these types of properties.
“If the resident in this instance does not fix the property, the city can approach the court to assume control of the property or force the owners to fix it,” he said.
Thus far the bylaw has been approved, and is yet to be formally passed and implemented by the city council.
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