Fixit tickets

The City of Minneapolis sends out inspectors to notice homes in need of maintenance and issue the owners orders to clean up their property. this activity heats up in the Spring.

I have never gotten one of these fixit tickets, but the practice has become quite prevalent from what I hear in poorer parts of town.

The rationale that the city spokespersons gives reporters is that they're cracking down on absentee slumlord types who neglect property they rent to people.

Sometimes though they tag a senior citizen who is struggling to keep up with their bottom line on a Social Security check and they can't afford to pay someone like me $hundreds to paint trim they can't get on a ladder theselves to paint any more.

Folks like these have paid property taxes since before I was born and don't need to be harassed by the city if you ask me. Someone else can paint the trim after they've moved on. Or the city should be referring them to some do-gooder instead of citing them. Hell, any Mpls city inspectors out there, if you're about to cite some old lady in North Minny for peeling trim, first one of you responds to this post, I'll take care of it. Free of Charge.