Code Enforcement and Property Maintenance
![Code Enforcement at Sauk Village](https://www.saukvillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/code-enforcement.jpg)
The Village of Sauk Village is committed to high standards for property maintenance and regularly conducts property maintenance inspections to protect the health, safety, and appearance of the property as well as nearby areas. Common violation types include:
- Building exteriors
- Sidewalk/ parkway obstructions
- Storage
- Signs
- Unsafe living conditions
The Community Development Department can can only take code enforcement action on violations of ordinances adopted by the Village.
THE VILLAGE’S CODE ENFORCEMENT PROCESS
Village inspectors will do field inspections, based upon citizen complaints or self-initiated inspections. You may receive a Notice of Violation from one of our inspectors informing you of a property maintenance violation. If you receive a Notice of Violation, please make arrangements to correct the code violation within the given time frame.
If you do not correct your property maintenance violation or contact the Village Hall with your questions, you will receive a ticket to report to the Village Hall for an Administrative Adjudication Hearing. An administrative hearing is a civil, not a criminal proceeding. Cases filed in adjudication are punishable by fines and can only be appealed in the Circuit Court of Cook County. Those fines may be paid at the Village Hall.
In extreme cases when fines accumulate unpaid, the Village may place liens on properties for repeat offenders.
COMMON PROPERTY MAINTENANCE VIOLATIONS
The following are common property maintenance violations that the inspectors find during inspections. If any of these conditions exist in your home, please proactively correct them.
- Failure to properly display address on front of house and on garage at alley
- Outdoor storage of materials or equipment
- Outdoor storage of inoperable vehicles
- Accumulation of trash, garbage, brush, or construction materials
- Overgrown bushes or hedges over walkways or public ways
- Grass grown over 8 inches in height and/or overgrowth of weeds
- Building or fence in disrepair
- Clogged or dirty gutters
- Missing or damaged handrails or balusters
- Peeling and chipping paint
- Broken or cracked windows on house or garage
- Parking on an unimproved surface
Building permits may be required to correct certain property maintenance violations.