Code Violation Reporting in Parma, OH

If you live in Parma or are thinking about moving there, code violation reporting are one of those things you probably won't think about until they affect you directly. Parma has 3 specific rules on the books covering different aspects of code violation reporting, and some of them might surprise you.

Response Times

When Parma's Code Official finds a Housing Code violation, Section 1705.03 lets the City move straight to a summons or, instead, mail the owner, agent, or operator a written notice that must set a stated reasonable time to repair, improve, or demolish the structure before further enforcement follows.

Key details: Compliance window: Stated reasonable time set in the notice. Enforcement options: Summons, prosecutor referral, or written notice. Sale/lease restriction: Barred over 1 year unless order disclosed. Service by mail: Used if violator not found in county. Penalty: First-degree misdemeanor, Section 1705.99.

Ignoring a Section 1705.03 notice, or removing a posted warning notice without permission, is a first-degree misdemeanor under Section 1705.99, with a new offense counted for every day the violation continues. If the Code Official also finds the structure a public nuisance, the City can pursue vacation of the premises and nuisance abatement through the Prosecutor in addition to the criminal penalty.

Common Violations

Parma's Property Maintenance Code bans a specific list of exterior conditions under Section 1707.09(a): broken or graffiti-marked fences, cracked walks and driveways, broken outdoor furniture and appliances, tarps hung on lines, paint and stain containers left out, junk and debris, and overgrown or dead hedges and bushes.

Key details: Governing section: 1707.09(a) Exterior Property Areas. Listed violations: Fences, graffiti, walks, junk, dead hedges, more. Graffiti/junk/hedges penalty: 4th-degree misdemeanor, 1st offense (1705.99(b)). Other exterior violations: 1st-degree misdemeanor (1705.99(a)). Repeat nuisance: 2 notices in 12 months = nuisance property.

Graffiti-marked fences and structures, junk and debris, and dead or overgrown hedges (Section 1707.09(a)(2), (7) and (8)) are charged as a fourth-degree misdemeanor for a first offense and a second-degree misdemeanor for repeat offenses, under Section 1705.99(b). The other exterior-condition violations in 1707.09(a), such as broken walks or furniture left outside, default to the general first-degree misdemeanor penalty in Section 1705.99(a), with a separate offense counted each day the condition continues.

How to Report

Any person who tells Parma's Building Commissioner that a property is violating a City ordinance triggers a mandatory investigation under Section 1501.11. The Commissioner must examine the condition forthwith and, if a violation is confirmed, order the responsible owner, lessee, or tenant to bring it into compliance.

Key details: Reporting standard: Any person may report a suspected violation. City duty: Commissioner must examine 'forthwith'. Notice method: Mailed to last known or permit address. Handling office: Division of Buildings, Building Commissioner. Penalty for noncompliance: First-degree misdemeanor, Section 1501.99.

Failure to comply with a Commissioner's order issued after a substantiated report is enforced as a Building Code violation: Section 1501.99 makes it a first-degree misdemeanor, with a separate offense for each day the condition continues, and a contractor found in violation can have City registration revoked for up to one year.

The rules around how to report in Parma lean permissive, but that does not mean anything goes.

The Bottom Line

Parma's code violation reporting rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming Parma is broadly strict or permissive.

These rules come from Parma's publicly available municipal code. For complete penalty schedules, exemption details, and answers to common questions, see the individual ordinance pages throughout this guide.