In Greenville, people who have received citations for housing code violations ordering repairs with a threat of fines up to ten dollars a day and possibly 90 days in jail are upset. 

At a council meeting Monday night, one woman who just bought her house said she was cited for chimney repairs right before Thanksgiving, yet booking a brick mason takes time and they don't work in winter. In addition, she doesn't have the money to get that work done.

 

Another homeowner tells us she was cited for needing to paint her home after she had already begun doing the work. 

 

"Particularly elderly people, new homeowners, single women, they need help. They don't just have a bucket of cash sitting somewhere. They don't have the skills. It's scary to be threatened with court," Joy Peterson said.

 

Others who were cited for things such as peeling paint say code enforcement missed Greenville's building where this meeting is held.

 

21 News found peeling paint around two back doors, rusty window frames, cracks on the building, chunks of concrete missing, possible structural damage and the building itself appears not to have been power washed recently. 

  

 "When you live in a town where they say do as we say, not as we do is what it's like and the town people are very upset, very upset," resident Patrick Eaton said. 

 

We asked Mayor Paul Hamill about the city-owned building and he said the last estimate shows it will cost around two million dollars to fix the municipal building. 

 

Hamill did say he planned to look into any low-cost fixes that could be implemented right away. 

 

Mayor Hamill tells 21 News Greenville has been cited prior by a code enforcement officer.

 

There have been a few code enforcement officers in the town and the one they have now is relatively new.

 

At Monday's meeting, the borough appointed people to a new board to examine blight enforcement in Greenville.

 

Council members say there may be programs to help residents make the repairs cited, but the homeowners need to call code enforcement. 

 

 

"We will listen and we will work to try and help you, just give us a chance," said Councilwoman Jean Carr.

 

People throughout the meeting continued to emphasize town leaders can't hold homeowners to one standard but hold business and themselves to another. 

 

"You claim you are working with these residents but two weeks to correct an issue and appear in court is not working with them. It's harassment,"

Kimberly Brick emphasized.

 

Brick also pointed to examples of companies that provide services to the borough who are also operating with violations. 

 

She pointed to hanging lines possibly from telephone or cable service providers, and emphasized there is a pair of tennis shoes that has been hanging from one transmission line for at least five years. 

 

Brick asked why Greenville continues to contract with the same garbage hauler who she says often leaves garbage and empty garbage cans in the streets.

 

"People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones," Eaton added.

 

Eaton suggested the council come up with a plan for itself, for business owners, and owners of empty buildings, and leave homeowners alone.

 

Eaton says he plans on continuing to work on the houses he owns but wants to sell them and leave. 

 

21 News will be checking in to see if there are changes or if the process will be applied equally to Greenville borough business owners as well as homeowners, and landlords.