East Hartford, Conn., Code of Ordinances §§ 2-113e–g, 7-8a, 7-8f, 7-12 § 7-8a

Sec. 7-8a. Notice of Property Maintenance Code and Blight Violations
(a)No owner or person occupying real property shall cause or allow a condition on any real
property that constitutes a violation of the property maintenance code adopted pursuant to section
7-7 of the East Hartford Code of Ordinances.
(b) Where it is necessary to make an inspection to enforce such provisions, or whenever the
Director or designee has reasonable cause to believe that there exists in a building or upon a
premises a condition in violation of the property maintenance code, the Director or designee is
authorized to enter such building or premises, provided that if such building or premises is
occupied, the Director or designee shall present credentials to the occupant and make reasonable
efforts to request entry. If such building or premises is unoccupied, the Director or designee shall
make a reasonable effort to locate the owner, owner’s authorized agent or other person having
charge or control of the building or premises and request entry. If entry is refused, the Director or
designee shall have the authority to enter such premises in accordance with state law.
(c) If any building, structure or premises contains one or more violations of the property
maintenance code, the Director or designee may issue to the owner or person occupying such
property a written notice of violation and direct the owner or person occupying such property to
correct the violation within a reasonable period of time, but not more than sixty days from the date
of the notice. The notice shall be sent to the owner or person occupying such property by regular
mail. certified mail or abode service and shall include:
(1)) The nature of the violation;
(2) The date by which the violation must be corrected including a description of the corrective
actions to be taken to bring the property into compliance with the order;
(3) That the Director or designee may issue a citation to the owner or person occupying the
property if the conditions are not corrected and a description of the fines, penalties, costs, fees and
other enforcement actions that may be imposed by citation; and
(4) Each person receiving such a notice and order shall be deemed to be jointly and severally
liable for correcting the violation.
(d) Prior to the expiration of the compliance period specified in the notice the owner or person
occupying the property or person receiving the notice may apply to the Director or designee for an
extension of the compliance period. The Director or designee may grant one or more extensions of
the compliance period, in discretion of the Director or designee, none of which may be longer than
sixty days, if the Director or designee determines that the owner, person occupying the property or

other person receiving the notice is diligently working to remedy the blighted or unsafe condition
and that under the facts and circumstances an extension is reasonable.
Section 7-8b Citations and Penalties
(a)If a property is not brought into compliance with the property maintenance code to the
satisfaction of the Director or designee by the conclusion of the compliance period and any
authorized extensions, the Director or designee may issue a citation and impose a fine not to
exceed the maximum fine authorized pursuant to Connecticut General Statutes section 7148(c)(7)(H)(xv) as amended from time to time.
(b) The citation shall contain the following:
(1) a description of the violation or violations and the amount of the fines, penalties, costs or fees
due;
(2) the right to contest liability before a citation hearing officer by delivering by hand delivery to the
Development Department or by mail written notice of such appeal within ten days of the date of the
receipt of such citation along with a request for the Director or person issuing the citation to appear
at such hearing, if desired by the person named in the citation;
(3) that failure to demand such a hearing will result in an assessment and judgment entered
against such person receiving such citation; and
(4) That such judgment may issue without further notice.
(c) Unless the cited person pays the stated fine within ten days of the issuance of the citation, the
Citation Hearing Officer shall conduct a citation proceeding. The Citation Hearing Officer may
issue a decision without a hearing if the cited owner or person occupying the property fails to
request a hearing within ten days of the issuance of the citation.
(d) If the cited owner or person occupying the property requests a hearing by delivering, by hand
delivery to the Development Department or mail, written notice of such request within ten days of
the date of the citation, the Director or designee shall send written notice, by certified mail of the
date, time and place for the hearing.
(e) Any hearing under this section shall follow the citation hearing procedures in Section 7-152c
of the Connecticut General Statutes as amended from time to time unless otherwise provided in
this Section. While the rules of evidence do not need to be strictly applied, all testimony shall be
given under oath or affirmation. Any person who requests a hearing shall be given written notice of
the date, time and place for the hearing. Such hearing shall be held not less than fifteen days nor
more than thirty days from the date of the mailing of such notice, provided the Director or designee
may grant, upon good cause shown, any reasonable request by such person for a postponement
of such hearing. The presence of either the Director or the person who issued the citation shall be
required at the hearing if so requested by the person named in the citation. Such request must be
included with the appeal. A person wishing to contest liability shall appear at the hearing, may
present evidence, and may be represented by an agent or attorney. The Director or designee may
present evidence on behalf of the Town. If the person who received the citation fails to appear, the
Citation Hearing Officer shall enter an assessment by default against such person upon a finding
of proper notice and liability under the applicable provisions of this section. The Citation Hearing
Officer shall render a decision at the conclusion of the hearing and issue a written decision within

ten days of the hearing. If the Citation Hearing Officer determines that the person who received the
citation is not liable, it shall dismiss the matter and enter that determination in Town of East
Hartford Code of Ordinances writing. If the Citation Hearing Officer determines that the person
who received the citation is liable for the civil penalties, the town shall collect the civil penalty and
such fees as provided in the citation.
(f) If the assessment by the Citation Hearing Officer is not paid to the Tax Collector within ten days
of the receipt of the decision by the Citation Hearing Officer, the Town of East Hartford may follow
the procedures in subsection (f) of Section 7-152c of the Connecticut General Statutes as
amended from time to time. The Town of East Hartford may also file a lien on the real estate on
which the violation or violations in the citation occurred pursuant to the provisions of Section 7148aa of the Connecticut General Statutes as amended from time to time.
Section 7-8c Town Action to Correct Violations
(a) Notwithstanding other provisions of this Code, whenever, in the opinion of the Director or
designee after consultation with the Director of Health and Social Services, the Director of Public
Works, the Fire Chief, the Police Chief and the Mayor or their designees, a building or equipment
poses imminent danger to any person due to an unsafe condition, including the operational failure
of essential heating, electrical power or sanitary facilities within an occupied dwelling unit or
dwelling making such dwelling unit or dwelling unsuitable for human occupancy, the Director or
designee may immediately order that the building or equipment owner conduct necessary work,
including the boarding up of openings to render such building temporarily safe or the restoration of
essential heating, electrical power or sanitary facilities. If the owner fails to immediately correct
such conditions identified in the order, the Director or designee is empowered to cause such
necessary work to be completed in order to abate the emergency.
(b) If the owner of a premises or owner’s authorized agent fails to comply with a demolition order
within the time prescribed or a building has been abandoned for more than one year, the Director
or designee shall cause the building to be demolished and removed. Notice as required by
Section 7-22 of the East Hartford Code of Ordinances shall be served prior to the demolition of any
building more than fifty years old except in the case of imminent danger to the public or major
destruction by fire.
(c) If an assessment by the Citation Hearing Officer has not been paid and such property remains
in violation of one or more provisions of the property maintenance code which involves an exterior
condition not in keeping with community standards or any condition that affects the health and
safety of any person occupying such property, the Director or designee after consultation with the
Director of Health and Social Services, the Director of Public Works, the Fire Chief, the Police
Chief, the Mayor or their designees, may take such action to correct such violations and assess
costs of such corrective action to the property owner.
Section 7-8d Town Collection of Costs and Fines
(a) The costs assessed for activities and services performed by the town under the provisions of
the property maintenance code and section 7-8c of the East Hartford Code of Ordinances shall be
the expenses associated with actions taken to enforce such provisions concerning the building or

premises. The Town may take any action under state law or the East Hartford Code of
Ordinances to collect such costs and fines.
Section 7-8e Appointment of Citation Hearing Officers
The Mayor shall appoint one or more persons to serve as a Citation Hearing Officer to conduct
hearings pursuant to this Section, provided no employee of the Police Department or Inspections
and Permits Department may serve as such officer. Each person shall serve a term of one year or
until a successor is appointed whichever is longer.