I read with interest your article concerning the dedicated members of the City’s Department of Neighborhood Services (“Code of Conduct” in the March issue). They were portrayed as loyal, concerned and extremely by-the-book City employees who are doing their best to improve neighborhoods by making nasty apartment complex owners fix their property in accordance with City code.

Excuuuse me: Are we talking about Dallas’ Department of Neighborhood Services?

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After reading your article, I had to conclude that a year of indifference, mismanagement and just plain idiocy that my family endured had been inflicted by another city.

Nearly two years ago, our insurance agent asked that we make exterior improvements to our home to secure our policy in the future. We secured a large loan to replace the porch, trim the eaves and trees, and buy paint for three solid coats.

We waterblasted over Labor Day weekend, then had to scrape, caulk and nail over many weekends.

Two months later, I lost my job as a graphic designer. Just days later, I received a notice from the City that cited us for not maintaining our property. We called the notice writer and told him that in addition to making my job hunt a priority, the poor winter weather made painting impossible.

We continued to fix and scrape, and eventually I found a job. We hired a freelance contractor who finished the scraping – almost. Three hundred dollars later, we stuck in mid-scrape.

Sadly, my new job was eliminated in a budget move. We did manage over the summer to finish priming and painting, but the City was not about to let go.

The City had already issued us a ticket and had decided we were to appear in court.

At this point, we turned to the able staff of our City councilperson. But the Neighborhood Services staff stonewalled us. Once the complaint was filed in court, they wouldn’t comment on it to anyone.

Even letters to Mayor Ron Kirk went unanswered. Why? Once the staff starts something, even he can’t stop it.

We then received a letter stating that despite the property being painted, we would still have to go to court – that was simply policy, and there was no way they were going to change the system.

All the receipts in the world, all the photos we had, even an acknowledgment on their letterhead that the property was painted was not about to stop that hearing! Talk about dedication!

I later found out that my problem was not called to the City’s attention by a neighbor. It was filed by a “fellow citizen” from South Dallas who rides the DART bus system looking for areas to inspect. He has filed nearly 18,000 complaints with the City about houses nowhere near where he lives.

We dutifully showed up to court. At the appointed hour, my name was called. Photos and documents in hand, I walked up to the judge’s bench. She looked over at me and said: “Your case is dismissed. Thank you.”

What power of divine intervention had come down on this judge? Was the pile of 8-by-10 mounted photos too much to ignore?

No. The City attorney and members of the Neighborhood Services staff had been meeting in the hallway and deciding who should be prosecuted and who shouldn’t. Nothing fancy, no incantations, no glitter.

And by the way, no consideration for me having take time off work, drag my pregnant wife from her office and sit in a building with an odor that is quite “exhilarating.”

Excuse me, but couldn’t they have made this decision BEFORE I arrived in court?

Yes, we were slower to get things done than set by City code. But once we did paint the property (that was the point of the whole mess, wasn’t it? – I can’t remember) why couldn’t they have dropped the case? Should personal situation be taken into consideration?

No, changing the process may cause citizens to think the City actually cares about us.