Department of Administrative Hearings

561 E. Jefferson
Detroit, MI 48226

Phone: (313) 224-0098
TTY: 311 or (313) 224-INFO (4636)

Hours of Operation: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., weekdays.

ADMINISTRATION

Miriam Blanks-Smart, Esq. Director

DETROIT ANTI-BLIGHT / CODE ENFORCEMENT
WHAT'S NEW
The City of Detroit Department of Administrative Hearings (DAH), created on January 1, 2005, is an innovative approach to enforcing the Detroit City Code as it applies to property maintenance and blight prevention. The department is an independent City agency that handles blight violations.

Along with the advent of the DAH, the City is launching a more aggressive code enforcement strategy. Police officers, City inspectors and Neighborhood City Hall managers will be issuing Blight Violation Notices to those who blatantly disregard City ordinances that are in place to keep Detroit clean and healthy.

IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE
Mayor Kwame M. Kilpatrick created the Department of Administrative Hearings because he believes that blight violations have a major impact on the quality of life in Detroit and the City must have an effective system to handle violations.

STRUCTURE OF THE DAH
The DAH has three separate hearing divisions: Property Maintenance, Zoning, and Solid Waste/Illegal Dumping.

Types of ordinance violations that will be heard in the Property Maintenance division include: failure to obtain certificates of compliance, failure to obtain a certificate of rental registration, rat infestation, failure to remove snow and ice from sidewalks, inoperable vehicles, failure to maintain exterior of property, and failure to comply with emergency orders.

Types of ordinance violations that will be heard in the Zoning division include: violation of special land use grants, change of land use without a permit, change of building use without a permit, and failure to obtain the required certificate of maintenance of grant conditions.

Types of ordinance violations that will be heard in the Solid Waste/Illegal Dumping division include: early bulk placement at the curb, early or late placement of residential garbage containers at the curb, improper storage of solid waste, animal/fowl excrement, and illegal dumping.

THE HEARING PROCESS
Citizens who are issued a Blight Violation Notice will be given a chance to present his/her defense(s) at a hearing. DAH hearings are presided over by administrative hearing officers who are licensed Michigan attorneys and independent contractors. City inspectors, police officers, and other City officials present the City of Detroit's case at hearings. Citizens have a right to appeal the hearing officers' decisions to the Wayne County Circuit Court.