Gretna, LA Code Violation Reporting: How to Report (2026)
Key Facts
- Minimum notice before hearing
- 20 days (§ 2-186(a))
- Posted notice deadline
- 5 days before hearing (§ 2-186(b))
- Appeal window
- 30 days to the 24th JDC (§ 2-189)
- Program created by
- Ord. No. 4548, 12-11-2013
- Unpaid fines become
- a lien on the property (§ 2-188)
Summary
The City of Gretna lets residents trigger a code case themselves: under Gretna Code of Ordinances § 2-186(f), any member of the public can start a violation notice by filing an affidavit or documentary evidence with the enforcement agency or department director, showing a health, housing, fire code, environmental, historic district, licensing or permit violation.
(a)Prior to holding an administrative hearing for public health, housing, fire code, environmental, or historic district ordinance violations, or any matters involving licensing and permits and any other ordinance violations that may be determined by the Gretna City Council, the city agency or department having enforcement responsibility shall notify the property owner of the alleged violation and may notify any known tenant or lessee of any violation alleged. A minimum of 20 days after notification by the city agency or department must pass prior to any hearing date for the alleged violation. ... (f)Complaints may be initiated by the public and violation notices will be issued upon the submission of affidavits and/or documentary evidence sufficient to prove the existence of health, housing, fire code, environmental, or historic district ordinance violations, or any matters involving licensing and permits and any other ordinance violations that may be determined by the Gretna City Council, as determined by the enforcement agency or department director.
Full Breakdown
Gretna's administrative adjudication program, created by Ord. No. 4548 (Dec. 11, 2013), lets the enforcement agency or department director decide whether a resident's affidavit or documentary evidence is sufficient to open a case under § 2-186(f). mail. Under § 2-186(b), a copy of the hearing notice must also be affixed on the property, or on the adjacent right-of-way if access is unsafe, at least five days before the hearing. The case is heard by the city magistrate, who may administer oaths, levy fines and hearing costs, and order corrections (§ 2-185).
A respondent who fails to appear is deemed to have admitted liability unless the magistrate finds good cause to reopen the case (§ 2-186(d)). Ownership and tenancy information for mailing notice is pulled from the Jefferson Parish Mortgage and Conveyance Office, the sheriff's office or the Gretna Water Department (§ 2-186(a)). A final order may be appealed to the Twenty-Fourth Judicial District Court of the Parish of Jefferson within 30 days of the order (§ 2-189), and unpaid fines become a lien against the property, collected with the next annual ad valorem tax bill (§ 2-188).
Violations & Fines
A failure to appear at the scheduled hearing counts as an admission of liability (§ 2-186(d)). The magistrate's fines and hearing costs cannot exceed what a parish court could impose for the same offense as a criminal misdemeanor (§ 2-186(j)); the Code's general penalty in § 1-8 otherwise caps a violation at a fine not exceeding $500.00, with each day a continuing violation persists treated as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I file a code complaint in Gretna?
How much notice does the property owner get before a hearing?
What happens if the property owner ignores the notice?
Can a violation decision be appealed?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Gretna
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