Take care of your property or it may cost you

Minn. Stat §429.101 grants the government the ability to collect unpaid special/service charges as a special assessment against the property benefited for all or any part of the cost of:

(1) snow, ice, or rubbish removal from sidewalks;

(2) weed elimination from streets or private property;

(3) removal or elimination of public health or safety hazards from private property;

(4) installation or repair of water service lines, street sprinkling or other dust treatment of streets;

(5) the trimming and care of trees and the removal of unsound trees from any street;

(6) the treatment and removal of insect infested or diseased trees on private property, the repair of sidewalks and alleys;

(7) the operation of a street lighting system;

           

(8) the operation and maintenance of a fire protection or a pedestrian skyway
             system;

(9) inspections relating to a municipal housing maintenance code violation;

(10) the recovery of disbursements for payment of utility bills and other services, even if provided by a third party, necessary to remedy violations; or

(11) the recovery of delinquent vacant building registration fees under a municipal program designed to identify and register vacant buildings.

This means, for example, if you allow weeds to grow in your lawn in violation of city code the city can specially assess your property for the cost of the removal.

The Minnesota Government Shutdown

As you may know in Minnesota, the Republican led Legislature and the Democrat-Farmer-Labor Governor have not been able to agree on a 2-year budget.  The deadline is today, June 30, 2011 for an agreement to be made.  If it is not made by this deadline Minnesota is facing a government shutdown. 

According to the Business Insider, the impasse centers around how to close a $5 billion two-year budget deficit.  The Governor's position has been to increase taxes on the wealthiest 2% and the Legislature's plan has been to balance the budget entirely with cuts.  Although both sides have been meeting, no agreement appears on the horizon.  MinnPost.com takes a look at this problem and the problems facing the other states.

The variance rollercoaster ride may be at an end

Cities have the authority to adopt zoning ordinances that regulate the use of land within the city.  This means that a city can regulate, among other things, the size and location of structures.  Sometimes a property owner wants to make improvements that are not allowed by a city's regulations, e.g., making a deck of a house bigger.  If the zoning code does not allow the deck to be any bigger a variance is needed (a variance requires City Council approval).  In the last year the laws that govern when a variance can be granted have been on a wild rollercoaster ride and that ride may have finally come to an end.