Justice Ch. 8 Art. XII Annual Inspection for Residential Apartment Units (§§8-501–8-516) § 8-507
Civil Action By Village To Enforce Compliance
Operative Text
Whenever the village building commissioner or his duly authorized designee has reasonable cause to believe that any landlord or tenant is engaged in a pattern or practice of violating the provisions of this article, or the landlord’s operating license has been suspended, the village, in addition to all other remedies provided herein, may bring a civil action by filing a complaint, setting forth the facts pertaining to such cause and shall have a right to one (1) or more of the following: a permanent or temporary injunction, restraining order, the appointment of a receiver, and damages as hereinbefore provided. Such relief may be obtained against the landlord or tenant responsible and shall be as is necessary to ensure compliance with the provisions of this article and the full enjoyment of the rights herein established. Before filing a complaint in court with respect to a violation of this article, the village shall provide notice of the violation to the offending tenant, landlord, operating licensee or other party designated to receive notices and service of process on behalf of such landlord or licensee requesting compliance. (Ord. 98-10, § 1, 3-9-1998; Ord. 2016-20, § 1, 5-23-2016)
Justice Ch. 8 Art. XII § 8-507 authorizes the Village to pursue civil legal action when its building commissioner has reasonable cause to believe a landlord or tenant is engaged in a pattern or practice of violating the residential apartment inspection article, or when a landlord's operating license has been suspended. Through such an action, the Village may seek remedies including injunctions, restraining orders, the appointment of a receiver, and damages. Before filing any court complaint, the Village is required to give written notice of the violation to the responsible party and request that they come into compliance.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under Justice Ch. 8 Art. XII § 8-507, the Village has authority to initiate civil litigation against landlords who demonstrate a pattern of non-compliance with the annual inspection article or whose operating license has been suspended. Operators who maintain current licenses, respond promptly to inspection findings, and address violations before they become recurring patterns generally reduce their exposure to this type of enforcement action. Landlords and their designated agents should ensure that contact information for receiving official notices is kept current, since pre-suit notice is directed to those designated parties.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Justice Ch. 8 Art. XII § 8-507 makes clear that the Village's civil enforcement authority extends to tenants as well as landlords when a pattern of article violations is identified. Tenants who believe their landlord is violating the residential inspection provisions may contact the Village building commissioner's office, which has the authority to investigate and, if warranted, pursue legal remedies including injunctions and damages. Tenant-rights organizations familiar with local Justice ordinances can help residents understand what options may be available when violations go unaddressed.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated November 10, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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