What we do
Keeping Terrebonne Parish beautiful is the responsibility of every citizen, young and old. It is the responsibility that goes beyond basic ordinance requirements, reaching instead to higher community standards that will increase the livability of our neighborhoods. This information has been developed to assist citizens in identifying some of their property maintenance responsibilities, and when to report violations.
Helpful Information
In code enforcement, the objective is abatement of the code violation. If the property owner fails to abate a nuisance violation, the Parish may elect to abate the violation.
When the Parish expends any funds in the abatement of any nuisance, the Director of Finance, or his/her designee, shall notify, the person against whose property the costs were incurred of said costs. The Director of Planning & Zoning shall certify the costs incurred in abating the nuisance and administratively processing the nuisance to the Finance Department, together with a description of the property. The person notified shall have 30 days from the mailing of said notice within which to pay the costs of abatement to TPCG. If the person so notified fails to pay the costs of the abatement within 30 days, the Finance Department shall immediately, upon the receipt of this information, enter an assessment in the appropriate books of the Parish to be kept for that purpose; and upon the entry of this assessment a lien will attach to the property.
With the exception of condemnation proceedings, every hearing for the adjudication of a contested charge of nuisance violation under the authority of this chapter shall be held before the Nuisance Hearing Panel.
To request a hearing before the Nuisance Hearing Panel, you are encouraged to submit a written request outlining your dispute to:
Code Enforcement Officer
c/o Planning & Zoning Department
P.O. Box 2768
Houma, LA 70361
Citizen complaints regarding code violations may be reported to the Nuisance Abatement office by phoning (985) 873-6563 or by using the on-line complaint form. The location and type of violation are vital. The goal of the Division is to inspect a complaint within 72 hours and attempt to achieve compliance within 6 weeks in most instances.
Excessive Noises and Littering - Contact law enforcement Terrebonne Parish Sheriff's Office (TPSO) @ (985) 876-2500 or Houma Police Department (HPD) @ (985) 868-5500.
Animal Concerns - Contact the TPCG Animal Control Division @ (985) 873-6709.
Roadside garbage/debris - Contact the TPCG Solid Waste Division @ (985) 873-6739.
Tall grass on roadside/right-of-way - Contact the TPCG Vegetation Division @ (985) 873-6739.
Trees in electrical lines - Contact the appropriate utility company.
Occupied structure complaints - Contact the TPCG Building Permit Division @ (985) 580-8199 or Board of Health @ (985) 857-3770.
Drainage Issues - Contact the TPCG Drainage Division @ (985) 873-6717.
Environmental Concerns - Contact the TPCG Office of Emergency Preparedness @ (985) 873-6357.
The inspector conducts an investigation of the property to determine whether or not a code violation exists that is enforceable under the nuisance ordinance. If a code violation is verified, a warning notification of the violation is served upon all owners requesting the violation is corrected within a specified time frame. At the end of this period, the inspector will inspect the property to determine whether or not the violation has been corrected. If the violation has not been corrected and the property owner has not requested an extension of time, then a citation with escalating fines will be issued. Extensions of time to correct the violations are limited and require a plan of abatement and continuous progress.
The owners of properties where violations occur more than once during the year or same/successive growing seasons will receive citations with escalating fines following the initial warning notification.
The Nuisance Abatement Division processes locations on a "complaint driven" basis. A complaint can be filed with our office by calling (985) 873-6563, or by visiting our office located at 7836 Park Avenue between the hours of 8:00am-4:30pm Monday thru Friday. You may also complete the online complaint form.
Upon filing a complaint, you will be asked to provide the address of the location that is presumed to be in violation and the specific violation. If you do not know this information, please provide as much of a description of the property as possible. This information allows us to check pertinent information prior to making a field inspection.
You will also be asked to provide your name, address, and phone number. However, this information is not required as we do accept anonymous complaints, but it is vital in preventing unnecessary delays.
Louisiana's Public Records law was enacted to give any person of the age of majority the right to inspect, copy, reproduce, or obtain a reproduction of almost any public record, except those protected from disclosure by legal exemptions and exclusions (e.g. business proprietary, personal privacy, and investigative documents). TPCG's Procedures for Public Records Requests is based on Louisiana's Public Records Act which is found in LA R.S. 44:4-41.
All requests for copies of public records must be directed to the Custodian of Records for Terrebonne Parish by contacting Administration or through the online Public Records Request form.
Administration Department
P.O. Box 2768
Houma, LA 70361
(985) 873-6401
The division enforces code violations on private property only. Below are some examples of the types of problems we can handle:
- tall grass, weeds
- trash, debris
- vehicles - junk, inoperable, abandoned
- unoccupied dangerous buildings/structures
- abandoned/sunken vessels in parish waterways
- signs on public or state R-O-W/property
Your valuable tax dollars are at work, and we want to expend our resources appropriately and efficiently. There are some neighborhood problems that do not fall under our jurisdiction.
- In general, we can act on behalf of the public at large - we cannot take action on behalf of one citizen against another. In other words, we cannot handle neighbor disputes or civil problems that do not violate public law.
- Also, we cannot handle complaints that a condition is ugly or unattractive.
- Examples: Ugly, unattractive cars, trucks, RV's or boats do not constitute a code violation unless they are inoperable. Vehicles or boats parked on a driveway, unless inoperable, would not be a code violation.
- Often a neighbor's tree or other plantings may drop leaves or debris in your yard, or may cause damage to a fence or other structure. Irrigation water may also run from one property to another.
- These conditions are private matters between the two property owners and the Nuisance Abatement Division has no jurisdiction.