Crazy in the winter?

Last Updated on Thursday, January 31, 2013 11:02 am Written by Christie Rotondo Thursday, January 31, 2013 11:01 am

Ordinance would expand rowdy house rules to off season 

WILDWOOD- Houses in the city get rowdy in the winter months too, so Mayor Ernie Troiano Jr. introduced an ordinance at the Jan. 23 meeting expanding the current rowdy house ordinance to year-round rentals as well.

“We’re going to invite them to become part of the ordinance,” Troiano said. “Rowdy houses don’t just pertain to seasonals.”

Troiano explained that the current rowdy house ordinance only pertained to seasonal housing, but he had found that houses in the city have needed “excessive municipal services” in the off-season too.

“There’s just as many year-round rowdy houses as there are seasonal,” Troiano said.

The city commission passed the original ordinance in September, 2011, which allows the city to track properties that require “excessive municipal services” such as police or fire calls, and place liens on properties that cost the city money.

These properties could be placed on a 60-day probation, as well as subject to a hearing and fines if a hearing officer finds it warranted.

If numerous “qualifying calls” are made about a particular property within a 60-day period, the property owner will receive a written warning that the property has been placed on probation.

According to the ordinance, “qualifying calls” are any calls to a city agency about a property with alcoholic beverage violations, disorderly conduct, disturbing the peace, excessive noise, littering, improperly parking a vehicle, possession of a barking or howling animal, possession or distribution of drugs, prostitution, public urination or indecent exposure.

If the property is placed on probation, the owner will be sent an order of abatement for the nuisance within 30 days. If the city receives anymore qualifying calls about the property within the next year, the property owner will be billed $250 per call, under the ordinance. If the owner fails to pay the fine, the city would file a complaint and notice of a hearing, and a hearing officer would assess an administrative fee of $500. Other legal fees could also be charged to the owner.

Over the summer, Troiano said the ordinance had been successful in keeping some of the rowdiness at bay, but admitted that there was more work to be done. By expanding the current ordinance to cover year round properties as well, Troiano said the city can continue to curb problem properties.

Christie Rotondo can be emailed at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or you can comment on this story at www.shorenewstoday.com.