Code Compliance relies on neighbor ratting out neighbor

April 26, 2023

Open letter from Diane Petryk, 218 Paris, to Lansing City Council

On March 3, I was given a yellow tag “Notice of Premise Violation” for “deteriorated pallets” by Steve Stockenauer. Actually, it was only one pallet. Behind my house, not visible from the street:

I am not writing to argue about Lansing rules. If pallets are verboten, then I must obey. I'm writing about fairness in policing this menace.

In just my walks from home I see pallets everywhere. People love their pallets. And why not? They are useful in so many ways, not the least of which – things don't get damp from the ground when on a pallet.

But did you ticket, among hundreds of other homes with outdoor pallets, these homes?

Kensington Rd. (wow look at that, right on the front yard)

Markley Pl., this pallet is right out on the driveway

Another Kensington Rd neighbor has a few

Lyons, many, many pallets visible from the street

And how does this backyard on Denver Ave look compared to my one pallet?

There are so many more!

Did you ticket these not-exactly-in-hiding pallets? Of course not. Because my house has been singled out for persecution by neighbors with the hearty help of the Code Enforcement Office. Isn't it funny that the officers can't do independent work? They must rely on neighbors ratting out neighbors? So the situation we have is, any trivial thing reported by a neighbor is a major crime, but actual blight and disgusting premises get the blink because no one happens to call?

I have no wish to be ratting out my neighbors, but I am forced to point out that each of these photos shows pallet crime visible from the street and far worse than one discreet pallet on my back patio. Unfair, uneven enforcement.

I have been targeted by code for trivial things since late last year. Larry Connelly came and told me it was all fine now. (source) Then wallop. Alison Peeler calls Barb Kimmel and Kimmel tells Connelly: "Please visit 218 Paris and write any violations you can see.” (source)

Did Connelly not know his business when he told me he didn't see any violations just days before?

This is persecution if it is not applied to EVERY house he can see. From the road these pallets are everywhere. He found the one in my backyard because of a malicious neighbor with designs on obtaining my house and no compunction about lying. This is not right.

From an FOIA accumulation of emails to Code Enforcement, Alison Peeler wrote (parenthesis my addition) :

If you look at my previous complaints about 218 Paris you will find where I reported that the house is unfit for human habitation (How would she know? I have lived in it for 12 years in good health). It has repeatedly flooded (No it hasn't and again, how would she know?) and not properly cleaned up and mitigated (How would she know? She's only been here a little more than a year) when right this minute the fire department is here (I called them thinking they might have a pump) and the water is waist deep (Lonnie Crowe, the Roto Rooter professional I called, can testify this was not so) furthering the unfitness. This is a real issue an needs to be dealt with.

No, the real real issue that needs to be dealt with is an unfair application of code and a woman who is weaponizing city services, is a chronic liar and officials who cannot see through her. Although, apparently one did. According to her own posting on the mayor's comment page, Alison Peeler said she was suspended from Neighborhood Watch for just "trying to clean up the neighborhood". Neighborhood Watch Commander Anthony VandeVoorde said he can't comment because of “a complaint.” But the Peelers have described how they used Neighborhood Watch as a pulpit for promulgating lies:

I have not been to a liquor store.

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