The Cortland mayor's office is warning city residents that if residents' property or outside homes are a mess, expect to hear from the city - and soon.

A post shared on a Cortland community social media page from Cortland City mayor Deidre Petrosky is asking residents to help to city crackdown on unkempt homes in the community by reporting locations to the Zoning Board via the Procedure for Zoning Code Investigation form that can be found on the website.

Violation reports for tall grass, weeds, or litter must be submitted in written form by mail, email, or fax. 

The city asks residents not to call the city to report a violation. Anyone reporting on a location is asked to provide their name, address, and contact information in case follow-up questions need to be asked; however, complaints may be submitted anonymously.

Residents will receive letters with a compliance date, and if the clean-up doesn't take place, the mayor says the city will send in workers at a rate $105 per hour to do the work. The fees will be added to the homeowner's or property owner's taxes.

Petrosky said so far no one has received a letter, but they would be going out soon. 

The post reads: 'Effective immediately, we will be beginning to enforce the Zoning Code more strictly. Most violations of the Zoning Code can be found under the Exterior Property Maintenance section. However, violations including tall grass and noxious weeds can be found under Trees. Weeds. and Grass section.'

Petrosky in the written post said the removal of litter, which includes any garbage, waste, peelings of vegetables or fruits, rubbish, ashes, cans, bottles, wire, paper, cartons, boxes, parts of automobiles, wagons, furniture, glass, oil of an unsightly or unsanitary nature, or anything else of an unsightly or unsanitary nature, will be voted on at the next city council meeting, as it is already allowed under the Ohio Revised Code.

One difference in these sections is the penalty that can be charged.

In the Trees, Weed, and Grass section, the city is allowed to have the work performed and invoice the property owner. If the property owner does not pay, then the costs can be attached as a lien on the property taxes.

The mayor said the purpose isn't to make money or the responsibility of caring for residential and commercial property. In the online post, Petrosky wrote 'The purpose is to keep property owners responsible for the maintenance of their own property. If properties look nice, the city benefits; unfortunately, the converse is also true.'

Petrosky said if residents are unable to comply with the clean-up request due to health, financial or other issues, they are asked to contact the zoning or mayor's office, so the city can work with the residents.