Rink
01-13-2006, 05:47 PM
City considers ‘red-tagging’ problem houses
BY DEENA WINTER / Lincoln Journal Star
It’s not a scarlet letter. But it is a bunch of letters on a red tag stuck to someone’s house — if the occupants have gotten into trouble with the law for such things as parties, noise or litter.
City leaders are floating the idea of slapping so-called “red tags” on disorderly houses to serve notice to inhabitants, neighbors and landlords that they’re in trouble with the law.
And they’d better not get into trouble again any time soon.
The idea was suggested by Ed Caudill, a 21-year North Bottoms resident and neighborhood activist who hopes to reduce the parties, litter and noise in his neighborhood, where the many small, old rental houses are popular with University of Nebraska-Lincoln students.
Caudill got the idea from Tucson, Ariz., where police have the authority to stick red tags on what are considered disorderly houses — or properties where five or more people are gathered or where there’s excessive noise, traffic, obstruction of streets, littering, public drinking, fighting, disturbing the peace or minors drinking alcohol.
The warnings must stay posted for 120 days. If a tag is taken down, the tenants are fined. If there are any subsequent violations within the next 120 days, police can cite and fine everyone from property owners to tenants and party guests.
Lincoln City Councilwoman Patte Newman, who has been working to help local neighborhood associations deal with problem properties and party houses, is helping to examine the idea of red-tagging.
“That’s an obvious reminder,” she said of the bright red warning. “It’s basically giving the police another tool in their armory to have.”
Carol Brown said the Neighborhood Alliance, a group of neighborhood associations, plans to push for a red-tag ordinance.
More on this Story (http://www.journalstar.com/articles/2006/01/13/top_story/doc43c710ab048cc072966049.txt)
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Personally the authorities should have a right to paint the ENTIRE house Bright blazing red FWIW, and the people whining and complaining it would hurt their property value needs to take a clue, hiding the fact that you have nuisance morons that make life hell for you and your neighbors dont make YOU look any good, clean up your neighborhood THEN you will have much better property values.
To hide such a thing is disgraceful, if not downright unethical to do.
BY DEENA WINTER / Lincoln Journal Star
It’s not a scarlet letter. But it is a bunch of letters on a red tag stuck to someone’s house — if the occupants have gotten into trouble with the law for such things as parties, noise or litter.
City leaders are floating the idea of slapping so-called “red tags” on disorderly houses to serve notice to inhabitants, neighbors and landlords that they’re in trouble with the law.
And they’d better not get into trouble again any time soon.
The idea was suggested by Ed Caudill, a 21-year North Bottoms resident and neighborhood activist who hopes to reduce the parties, litter and noise in his neighborhood, where the many small, old rental houses are popular with University of Nebraska-Lincoln students.
Caudill got the idea from Tucson, Ariz., where police have the authority to stick red tags on what are considered disorderly houses — or properties where five or more people are gathered or where there’s excessive noise, traffic, obstruction of streets, littering, public drinking, fighting, disturbing the peace or minors drinking alcohol.
The warnings must stay posted for 120 days. If a tag is taken down, the tenants are fined. If there are any subsequent violations within the next 120 days, police can cite and fine everyone from property owners to tenants and party guests.
Lincoln City Councilwoman Patte Newman, who has been working to help local neighborhood associations deal with problem properties and party houses, is helping to examine the idea of red-tagging.
“That’s an obvious reminder,” she said of the bright red warning. “It’s basically giving the police another tool in their armory to have.”
Carol Brown said the Neighborhood Alliance, a group of neighborhood associations, plans to push for a red-tag ordinance.
More on this Story (http://www.journalstar.com/articles/2006/01/13/top_story/doc43c710ab048cc072966049.txt)
==============================================
Personally the authorities should have a right to paint the ENTIRE house Bright blazing red FWIW, and the people whining and complaining it would hurt their property value needs to take a clue, hiding the fact that you have nuisance morons that make life hell for you and your neighbors dont make YOU look any good, clean up your neighborhood THEN you will have much better property values.
To hide such a thing is disgraceful, if not downright unethical to do.