Exorbitant fines enforceable?

[Account Closed]

I just received this letter today (Feb 4th) even though the inspection was conducted on Jan 6th.  The letter is postmarked on Jan 21st.

1) The entire exterior was painted last month and the painter forgot to put the numbers back on.  We will fix this.

2) Dry rot on exterior - of course there's dry rot.  The house is on the coast and it's made of wood.  I would have to replace 95% of the siding to replace all the dry rot.

3) Rodent infestation - The neighbors have chickens and my tenant has dogs.  I believe the dog food attracts rodents from the neighboring chicken coops.

4) We will fix the doors.

5) The property needs a new fence.

6) Need new exterior mesh for the crawl space

7) Concrete foundation, how bad can it be deteriorated?

8) We will fix the leaks

9) Wall heater was abandoned.  The home has central air.  The wall heater will be removed.

10) Cracked window will be replaced

11) I don't think there's faulty electrical.  I'm pretty sure the plugs have 30 amps which is easy to overload.

So, let's just say hypothetically that I was unable to satisfy code enforcement on the fence and exterior siding by Feb 25th.  According to this letter, I would be fined $2,000 PER DAY after Feb 25th.  This doesn't seem equitable at all.  Is this enforceable?  Would I win if I fought this in court?  What are your thoughts?

There are a lot of details I've left out to respect the tenant's privacy.

[Matthew Kreitzer]

Only an attorney licensed to practice in your particular state could answer the questions you are posing, as they involve issues of legal advice and how local courts would interpret a given statute. If you are at all concerned, and you should be, you should consult with a local attorney for more information on how to handle this issue.