Resident urges action on dilapidated house and debris; commissioners cite work on a property maintenance code

Sabrina Yeager of Ridgeley told the Caroline County Commissioners during public comment that an unfinished house near Central Avenue and Holzinger has long-standing debris on the surrounding property, including a flatbed trailer she said was "loaded with trash," and asked what the county could do to require cleanup.

President Breeding and other commissioners acknowledged the complaint and said planning and codes are monitoring the renovation permit for the property. Breeding told Yeager the county does not yet have a comprehensive property maintenance code but staff are working on one and on a permit process to track temporary living arrangements such as living in campers.

"We are finally getting to a point where we're going to address that and generate some type of property maintenance code," Breeding said, and noted that the office of law and planning commission involvement will be needed to craft regulations that balance neighbors' rights and property owners' rights.

Yeager asked whether the county or the health department would enforce removal of trash and address vermin risks; commissioners said the health department can act but that enforcement has been slow in at least one previous case, and that the usual municipal remedy — notifying owners and, if necessary, abating and assessing costs to the owner — is available though it can be a lengthy process.

Commissioners said they will continue to monitor the specific property through code enforcement and will pursue a formal property maintenance code through the legislative process. Breeding said drafting those regulations is complex and staff bandwidth is limited.

The public-comment exchange closed without an immediate enforcement action; commissioners asked staff to continue tracking and, where appropriate, follow existing enforcement procedures while working toward a comprehensive code.