Violation Procedures

Reporting a Violation

Residents who see possible code violations should report them by contacting the Office of Code Compliance at (301) 985-5014 or email codecompliance@hyattsville.org. They are welcome to do so anonymously and to request discretion by code compliance officers. 

Receiving a Violation

Upon confirmation of a code violation, a warning notice is provided to the owner/occupant of the property. The notice clearly lists the nature of the violation, required correction, and the date by which the correction must be completed. Recipients of a violation notice are encouraged to contact the Office of Code Compliance to discuss the violation and its resolution.

If a code violation is not corrected in the time allotted under the code and the property owner/occupant has not contacted the inspector to arrange for an extension of the compliance date, a Municipal Infraction Citation will be issued to the property owner/occupant. This is a Maryland Civil Citation, and most carry an initial fine of $100 but can have a maximum fine of $1,000. If the fine is not paid within 20 days, as established by Maryland Law, the infraction is mailed to the District Court of Maryland for Prince George's County, and a hearing is set before a judge.

Additionally, if the property owner fails to correct the problem within the allotted time period, the City may correct it and charge the cost of the work to the property owner. If the charges are not paid, the City may add the cost of clean-up to the owner's property taxes as a lien.