By Erica Solvig
The Cincinnati Enquirer

DEERFIELD TWP. - Tired of residents ignoring zoning violations, this Warren County township is stepping up its enforcement.

If the property owners do not comply within 30 days of getting a notice of zoning code violations, they will be issued a ticket, said township zoning inspector Kevin Fehring. The property owners will have to appear in Mason Municipal Court and could pay up to $100 per violation per day that they do not follow code.

Before now, the township would send out letters that warned legal action could be taken, but never followed up when the property owners did not comply, Fehring said.

"We want to see these violations cleaned up," Fehring said.

The process starts when someone fills out a citizens complaint form about a property. Within 72 hours, the township will investigate the complaint and determine if there is a violation.

After receiving notice of the violations via certified mail, the property owners have 30 days to comply with the code or appeal their case to the township's zoning board of appeals, which meets monthly.

If, after 30 days, the issue is not resolved, the township will issue a minor misdemeanor citation, Fehring said. Property owners might be able to pay the fine - which is decided by the judge - and avoid trial on first offense, but on subsequent citations they will have to go to court.

"We don't want to use (the citations) - we want to see these things abated as fast as possible," Fehring said. "But there were too many violations and we had no leverage."

E-mail esolvig@enquirer.com