Why should I fix a porch violation

Chicago porches have been occupying front pages of local newspapers for a while now. Associated with several accidental deaths and injuries, they became one of the most sought after structures the Chicago Building Department inspectors evaluate. The results of those inspections vary a lot but violations that require Chicago porch architectural drawings and complete porch rebuilding are very common. 

We don’t like to be told what to do, especially if it’s going to cost us money, but that shouldn’t matter when safety of the building occupants and their lives are at stake. That’s why building inspectors are so persistent in their “code compliant Chicago porch” crusade. 

The number of Chicago porch problems that can result in serious injury or even death is quite large. Even potentially small issues, sometimes difficult to spot with an inexperienced eye, can lead to life threatening situations. So if you have an old porch that, to your knowledge, has never been examined by a professional, you should schedule an inspection by a professional as soon as possible.

City porches explained to us what happens if your porch violation is discovered.

The building department will send out a building inspector to your building. If they find violations, they may cite your landlord. The landlord will receive a notice. The landlord has 15 days from that day to address the problem. If not, there may be a court case against them. This could be a hearing in administrative court or a civil building court case. You can also report a violation, but, as the caller, you become the complaining witness. You may be asked by the city provide testimony in a hearing.

This could then elevate to a court case, which could be:

An administrative hearing

The administrative hearings for the Buildings Division in Chicago happen at 400 W. Superior. A case can only be brought by the city. You can follow the case, and may be asked to participate in it. But you can't start it. The hearing is meant to check that the landlord has fixed the issue. The officer may order a re-inspection of the building before the hearing. 

The hearing is recorded. The city may ask you to and other tenants to testify. At the end of the hearing, the officer makes a decision. The owner may be fined. The officer can tell the owner to fix things, too.

Or civil court

Unlike administrative hearings, it is not just the city that can bring a case against a building owner. Any building owner or tenant can start a lawsuit in civil court if they are being affected by the building violation. A copy of the complaint must be sent to the city. In civil court, a judge is in charge of the hearing. The judge can impose fines on the building owner and force the building owner to stop a violation or fix a problem.

And also keep in mind that porches having structural issues can result in serious injury or even death, so it's better to avoid having any of those problems and fixing the violations as soon as we find them, not only to avoid legal trouble but to also avoid having any accidents.

City porches.