SOUTH BEND – South Bend is looking to find a solution to problem properties that account for big numbers of police calls for the city
One of the worst offenders is the Courtyard Place apartments.
Police were called there more than 1,300 times from 2008 through 2011.
Now, South Bend officials are considering imposing a "nuisance fee" on the owners of properties that have so many police calls.
Common Council member Tim Scott says the ordinance would designate any property that has five or more valid police complaints or code violations during a 60-day period as a "problem property" for one year.
The property owner would have to pay a $250 fee for each subsequent complaint or violation during that period.
The fee would be imposed for building owners, not tenants.
