City Council Updates Nuisance Ordinance

By Mark Dent , April 15, 2021 0 Comments

Berea, Ohio

Berea City Council is reviewing its noise ordinance which treated renters more harshly than homeowners. The new version will not distinguish between renters and homeowners but will also extend the ‘lookback’ time to 2 years. The ordinance requires that two warnings be given with the third violation resulting in a fine. The lookback period is used to see how many violations occurred at any given property.

Some Bereans have concerns that this new version continues to unfairly target renters. It has been noted that someone who rents an apartment that previously had two violations may be fined $750 for one violation while the previous renter with two violations pays nothing. Update to the ordinance is currently tabled to address these concerns.

Other communities that host colleges apply a reasonable fine (for example, $50) at the time of the violation. It may be worth looking at how other communities handle this issue.

Written By

Mark Dent

Hello! My name is Mark, I'm a Berea resident and owner of the Law Office of Mark Dent. I’ve been preparing estate plans since 2003 when I served in the Army as a JAG Attorney. I’m a graduate of Ohio Northern Law School and have bachelor's degrees in both Political Science and Computer Science. My wife and I enjoy running 5ks and exploring the Metro Parks. I am located around the corner from Dick’s Bakery, which I blame for my poor run times and an extra 5 pounds around my midsection. Unfortunately, their donuts are some of the best Ohio has to offer!