.....in Austin this would fall under the jurisdiction of the ENVIRONMENTAL ENFORCEMENT DIVISION which effectively is the city’s own enviro police force. They have intentionally “criminalized” such matters which gives them sharp and distinct “procedural” legal advantage over a defendant. One big advantage, among several, is the defendant has to show up at EVERY courtroom proceeding or get arrested.
I fought the City of Austin through 3 jury trials over a period of 2-3 years. They lost all 3. Now, imagine that! Liberal Austin. Liberal citizen jurors. Mean old greedy developer ME. City still lost all 3 times. So, the city’s effort against me even offended its own liberal citizens.
My CRIMINAL violation? I moved a tenant in a shopping center I just built without 1 last letter from the enviros that EVERYTHING was ok. Such a letter was withheld for months and months and the poor tenant needed to get open and cash flow rolling in or go broke. Simple.
What, among other things, turned the jurors against the city was that the City owned electricity provider historically withholds electricity until EVERYTHING is clear. They cleared it and the Marxist enviros simply would not issue their letter.
Cost to me for the 3 trials in legal fees alone was approximately $25,000. Trips to courthouse over the 2-3 years were 10-20.
Cities are out of control with liberal Marxist regulators. I should have sued for abuse of process but was tired of it all. Laughably too, I had good attorneys each time. They had the same uncaring, sleepy staff lawyer. By the way, if I had lost, the fines were HUGE.......in the six figures!
This local, and state, usurpation of civilian rights,at least rights until changed by ordinances and laws, has been going on for years. Some of the public, i.e. non government employed, want to go after people for their own personal purposes/reasons including for government control. Some of the public not bothered could care less what is being done to neighbors. Much of the public is in the dark as to what their government ‘servants’ are up to. Government is people and the Founders recognized such and warned against such. I have been there, seen much, and cannot trust my neighbor to be free of wanting ‘government’ to be my master.