Branch County will raise fines as unpermitted building increases

BRANCH COUNTY — Branch County plans to discourage those who build without the proper permits — by making them pay the consequences.

At its Thursday work session, county administrator Bud Norman told the commissioners the current $100 fine for starting a project without a permit is not an incentive to follow the rules. He recommended doubling the permit fee, which would be between $300 and $500 plus the permit fee.

“The projects that are built without a permit have more than tripled over the last few years,” Norman told the commission. “It's very important to have a permit. It's important for safety. We do that to ensure safety.”

The administrator noted that many banks that finance home improvement projects require verification of permits.

Because the county building fees have not been increased since 2009, Norman suggested to increase the application fee from $50 to $75. The increased fee is in the lower range for surrounding counties.

Branch County uses an outside firm to conduct its inspections, with Norman managing the department as part of his duties. Most of the unpermitted structures are caught by zoning administrators in the 12 townships under their purview. Others are discovered by tax assessors during an inspection — often neighbors will turn in violators.

Commissioner Tom Matthew objected to any increase in fees due to inflation.

“Our citizens are going through extreme financial uncertainties,” he said.

Commissioner Jon Houtz said consumers are being swindled by some contractors who do not pull permits and complete shoddy work.

“They are spending hard-earned money," Houtz said. "We need to make sure that the permits are being pulled and the inspections are being done.”

Commission chair Tim Stoll agreed the increases were needed.

“If somebody's working on their own house, and perhaps a younger person isn't aware that they need a permit to work on their own house, I would like to see some consideration for that.”

He said ultimately the buck stops at the homeowners.

“(They're) responsible for making sure that the proper permits are in place. It's not necessarily the contractor who is responsible," Stoll said.

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Norman said permits and inspections are important.

“We do that to ensure the safety of a project and facility,” he said.

He noted that building codes continously change as new products and materials are used

Norman said there also are varying requirements depending on the county and municipality.

Some work, such as re-roofing in Branch County, does not require a permit, he said, while in others it does.

The administrator urged anyone doing work: "When in doubt, ask.”

The commission will officially vote Tuesday, Dec. 13, on the increases.

— Contact Don Reid: dReid@Gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter: @DReidTDR

This article originally appeared on Coldwater Daily Reporter: With unpermitted building increases, Branch County will raise fines, fees