Denver code enforcement cases on the rise

Daniel J. Chacón of the Rocky Mountain News used local data to show that code-enforcement cases in Denver increased more than 12 percent between 2004 and 2005 and by more than 20 percent in five of the city's 11 council districts, according to data obtained under a Colorado Open Records Act request. "The number of total inspections, including those where no violation was found, nearly doubled from 26,303 in 2004 to 51,756 last year. " Denver has also implemented a new program which carries stiffer fines, and slaps property owners with a $150 fine for the first violation, $500 for the second and $999 for each one after that. Violations include everything from illegal dumping to running an auto repair shop on a residential lot. The two most frequent infractions are uncut lawns and junk cars.