The City of Peoria has a difficult time collecting housing fines. The city issued $3.8-Million in code violation fines in an 18-month period from January 2017 ending in June.
The Peoria City Council learned the municipality currently doesn’t know how much of that amount it has collected. City manager Patrick Urich says some landlords ignore or appeal the fines.
“It’s a challenge that we have in terms of collectability in trying to go out and collect on many of these work orders that have been performed or the judgment is in housing court that have been levied. And I think that’s one of the issues that we’re trying to ascertain is how easily collectible this is,” Urich said
Auditors are trying to determine what amount has been paid. The council last night approved new registration fees for rental property owners.
Landlords pay a registration of $75 for each property and do not have to attend annual training if they do not owe the city money and have no judgments against their property.
If landlords do not meet those conditions, they must attend the education seminar and registration is $125. Rental property owners who do not meet the conditions and don’t attend the seminar pay a registration of $250.
The Peoria City Council did not take action Tuesday night on two important issues.
The council will vote October 23, 2018, on whether to accept the CEO Council’s offer of $400,000. The money would be for due diligence on a possible water company buyout.
There has been no estimate on the actual cost of due diligence. The city must notify Illinois-American Water Company by November if it will pursue due diligence.
The council also deferred a vote to January on whether to buy property that would extend riverfront park further north. City staff recommendation is to pay $159,000 for the Simantel property at the foot of Spring Street.
But the National Park Service has not okayed the purchase over questions of the valuations of past land purchases that used federal funds.