What is an Administrative Citation?
Administrative Citations are non-criminal tickets issued to individuals who do not correct violations of the Hopkins City Code 355.
In the past criminal fines and penalties have been the most frequent enforcement mechanism. Unfortunately there are certain negative consequences for both the city and the accused. The delay inherent in that system does not ensure prompt resolution. Citizens resent being labeled as criminals for violations of administrative regulations. The higher burden of proof and the potential of incarceration do not appear appropriate for most administrative violations. The criminal process does not always regard city code violations as being important.
What are Administrative Citations issued for?
An Administrative Citation can be issued for any violation of the Hopkins City Code. In practice, Citations are usually issued for property related violations such as:
- Exterior storage violations involving construction materials, tires, and miscellaneous junk
- Junk cars
- Rental of dwelling unit without license
What are the Administrative Citation penalties?
The penalties vary according to the seriousness of the offense. Fines range from $50 to $500 per offense.
What is the process for issuing citations?
The process usually begins with either a call to the City or a City employee noticing a violation. Individuals who are in violation of the City Code are notified of the violation and given time to correct the problem. In order to avoid a Citation, the property owner needs to take care of the problem. If there is a need for more time, the property owner must contact the employee that issued the Citation. Various City employees are authorized to issue citations.
If the problem is not corrected in time, a Citation may be issued. The person responsible for the violation must either pay the scheduled fine or request an appeals hearing within fourteen days after receiving the Citation. The property owner is still responsible for correcting the violation.