City drops building case against Douglas Bruce

Colorado Springs dropped its dilapidated-building case last week against Rep. Douglas Bruce after he sold the two fourplexes.

Bruce, author of tax limitation measures city officials believe hamstring the city's finances, said Tuesday that the case is another example of "the city's vicious vendetta" against him.

"It was all a target to get me," he said.

Code enforcement administrator Ken Lewis, who handled the case, couldn't be reached Tuesday for comment.

The City Council adopted an ordinance in August 2006 that gives the city the power to force property owners to make improvements or risk losing their properties.

The ordinance defines a building as dilapidated if it's vacant and boarded up, dangerous, tax delinquent or has had more than three code violations in a year. The fine is $500 per building and can be attached to the tax bill.

Bruce boarded up the fourplexes, on Ruskin Way east of Academy Boulevard near Airport Road, at the city's order before the ordinance was adopted. After the new law was passed, the city told him to replace the boards with screens so the police could look inside for loiterers or face a fine.

Bruce refused and appealed.

He lined up Regional Building Official Henry Yankowski to testify that the buildings aren't dilapidated.

"A building cannot be dilapidated just because it has boards on it, especially when they were put on by a city directive," Bruce said.

The case became moot after Bruce sold the houses on May 9.

"Unfortunately, the city had already recorded the liens that they weren't going to record," Bruce said of the $1,000 in fines.

Bruce said the city promised to refund his $300 appeal fees and remove the liens.

CONTACT THE WRITER: 636-0238 or pam.zubeck@gazette.com