Investigation Report: Ombudsman Act – RM of Armstrong
investigations & monitoring
municipal / local body
Summary
We received a complaint from a property owner in the RM of Armstrong. The property owner had received a compliance order from the RM requiring her to clean-up her property, and she explained to us that she did so prior to the prescribed deadline. She further explained that the RM visited her property several months later, took material away, and issued her a bill for $630. We were unable to determine whether an inspection occurred or whether the property was cleaned-up by the deadline as the RM does not have any record of inspecting the property within a reasonable time following the deadline. In our view it was unfair for the RM to wait approximately three months to enforce the compliance order without further notifying the complainant that she was contravening the order. We made four recommendations to the RM. As a result of our investigation, the RM decided to cancel the clean-up charges. The RM indicated that it will also amend its policy for dealing with unsightly property in order to improve record-keeping and set reasonable time frames for enforcement of compliance orders.
Case 2014-0515