Eyes and Ears Program
Enhanced Code Enforcement
Code Enforcement’s "Eyes and Ears Program" calls upon neighborhood groups to assist the Code Enforcement Officer in identifying code violations and recognizing specific enforcement needs as they relate to the various neighborhoods.
Community Involvement
The program was initiated to enhance code enforcement efforts and improve community relations. The City Staff conducts monthly meetings with approximately 29 neighborhood groups. Meetings are usually held on the last Thursday of the month.
Report Eyes and Ears Code Violations
Follow this link to report an Eyes & Ears violation. Be sure and include the address of the violation, and also include your contact information if you wish to updated on the status of your complaint.
City of DeSoto http://www.ci.desoto.tx.us/index.aspx?NID=370
WHAT sHOULD i REPORT?
In an effort to help you enjoy being a part of our community, we would like to provide this information to help you become familiar with the responsibilities of our residents. This is intended to help eliminate any matter, condition or object which is objectionable or unsanitary. We hope this information will be helpful to you in doing your part to help make DeSoto a clean and safe place to live.
High Grass and/or Weeds
City Ordinances require that weeds and grass be kept below 12 inches in height, and that trimmings are not allowed to accumulate in any gutter, street, sidewalk, alley or any other public or private property. The owner or occupant of the property is required to maintain the property from the street in the front to the middle of the alley in the back (or the property line.) This includes the front, back and side yards, the right-of-way (the area between the sidewalk and the curb,) and the alley and easement (the area behind the property.)
Grass/weeds should be cut and removed at least once every 15 days on land developed for residential use, and every 30 days for all other types of premises.
Overgrown Trees
It is unlawful for any owner, occupant or person in charge of adjacent property to allow the branches of any tree to extend over into a public street or alley at a height less than fourteen and one-half (14 ½) feet. It is also unlawful to allow the branches of any shrubbery or similar vegetation to extend over into adjacent property or over a sidewalk blocking or hindering pedestrian access.
Trash, Brush or Refuse
Loose brush must be placed in front of your residence in a pile. Brush will be picked up within seven days. Trash is debris, rubble, stone, fragments of building materials and any other materials. Refuse is any type of accumulation of worn-out, used up, broken, rejected or worthless materials. These items must be placed in the proper receptacles at all times. The front, back and side yards, and the alley and easement must remain free of all litter, trash and refuse. The receptacle must be placed in the proper location either on the front right-of-way or in the alley for weekly solid waste pickup.
Fences
The fence on your property should be maintained at all times. It is unlawful to allow your fence to lean or to have missing, loose or broken slats or panels.
The fence is not allowed to have symbols, writings or other graffiti except for signs which pertain to the address or occupancy of the property. It is prohibited to have barbed wire, hog wire or chicken wire or to have an electric fence.
If you have a swimming pool, a fence, structure or gate is required to completely surround the swimming pool to prevent small children from inadvertently wandering near the pool and falling in. The fence, structure or gate shall not be lower than six feet in height, and not have any openings that will allow a four-inch diameter sphere to pass through; and all gates should have a self-closing and self-latching device designed to keep gates closed and locked at all times.
Signs
It is illegal to erect or affix a sign in the right-of-way (the area from the curb to the sidewalk,) in the median (the area in the middle of a street,) on trees, public fences, buildings or utility/telephone poles. A permit is required to erect a sign on private property. A sign permit may be obtained from the Code services Department.
Garage Sales
Garage sales are allowed to run for three consecutive days and can be held two times per calendar year. A permit must be obtained 24 hours prior to beginning your sale from the Utility Billing Department at Town Center, 211 E. Pleasant Run Rd. or by calling 972-230-9630.
One sign is allowed in the seller's immediate yard and another may be placed at the end of the block with the owner's permission. However, signs cannot be placed in medians, on utility poles or in rights-of way.
Oversized Vehicles
Oversized vehicles may not be parked or stored in any residential neighborhood. An overweight vehicle means truck tractor, semi-trailer, trailer with a rated capacity in excess of 14,500 GVWR or higher such as flatbed trucks, vehicles with mounted equipment, mechanical or hydraulic devices designed to assist in loading or unloading freight or the transporting of other vehicles.
Recreational vehicles and travel trailers may be parked in residential neighborhoods but must be parked on private property on an improved surface. Recreational vehicles must not be parked as to cause a visibility obstruction to vehicular and pedestrian traffic.
Junk Vehicles
Please maintain property free of any junk vehicles. A junk motor vehicle is any vehicle that is inoperative and remains inoperative for more than 45 days or is inoperative and does not have a current registration sticker or inspection sticker. A junk vehicle is also any vehicle which is wrecked, dismantled or discarded. These vehicles may not be visible anywhere in the public view, public right-of-way, street or any other private property.
Parking On Unimproved Surfaces
No vehicle should be parked in the front or side yards at any time, except on a driveway or on an improved surface such as reinforced concrete. Additionally, parking in the alley is prohibited at all times so as to not interfere with the free and uninterrupted movement of traffic.
In an effort to help you enjoy being a part of our community, we would like to provide this information to help you become familiar with the responsibilities of our residents. This is intended to help eliminate any matter, condition or object which is objectionable or unsanitary. We hope this information will be helpful to you in doing your part to help make DeSoto a clean and safe place to live.
High Grass and/or Weeds
City Ordinances require that weeds and grass be kept below 12 inches in height, and that trimmings are not allowed to accumulate in any gutter, street, sidewalk, alley or any other public or private property. The owner or occupant of the property is required to maintain the property from the street in the front to the middle of the alley in the back (or the property line.) This includes the front, back and side yards, the right-of-way (the area between the sidewalk and the curb,) and the alley and easement (the area behind the property.)
Grass/weeds should be cut and removed at least once every 15 days on land developed for residential use, and every 30 days for all other types of premises.
Overgrown Trees
It is unlawful for any owner, occupant or person in charge of adjacent property to allow the branches of any tree to extend over into a public street or alley at a height less than fourteen and one-half (14 ½) feet. It is also unlawful to allow the branches of any shrubbery or similar vegetation to extend over into adjacent property or over a sidewalk blocking or hindering pedestrian access.
Trash, Brush or Refuse
Loose brush must be placed in front of your residence in a pile. Brush will be picked up within seven days. Trash is debris, rubble, stone, fragments of building materials and any other materials. Refuse is any type of accumulation of worn-out, used up, broken, rejected or worthless materials. These items must be placed in the proper receptacles at all times. The front, back and side yards, and the alley and easement must remain free of all litter, trash and refuse. The receptacle must be placed in the proper location either on the front right-of-way or in the alley for weekly solid waste pickup.
Fences
The fence on your property should be maintained at all times. It is unlawful to allow your fence to lean or to have missing, loose or broken slats or panels.
The fence is not allowed to have symbols, writings or other graffiti except for signs which pertain to the address or occupancy of the property. It is prohibited to have barbed wire, hog wire or chicken wire or to have an electric fence.
If you have a swimming pool, a fence, structure or gate is required to completely surround the swimming pool to prevent small children from inadvertently wandering near the pool and falling in. The fence, structure or gate shall not be lower than six feet in height, and not have any openings that will allow a four-inch diameter sphere to pass through; and all gates should have a self-closing and self-latching device designed to keep gates closed and locked at all times.
Signs
It is illegal to erect or affix a sign in the right-of-way (the area from the curb to the sidewalk,) in the median (the area in the middle of a street,) on trees, public fences, buildings or utility/telephone poles. A permit is required to erect a sign on private property. A sign permit may be obtained from the Code services Department.
Garage Sales
Garage sales are allowed to run for three consecutive days and can be held two times per calendar year. A permit must be obtained 24 hours prior to beginning your sale from the Utility Billing Department at Town Center, 211 E. Pleasant Run Rd. or by calling 972-230-9630.
One sign is allowed in the seller's immediate yard and another may be placed at the end of the block with the owner's permission. However, signs cannot be placed in medians, on utility poles or in rights-of way.
Oversized Vehicles
Oversized vehicles may not be parked or stored in any residential neighborhood. An overweight vehicle means truck tractor, semi-trailer, trailer with a rated capacity in excess of 14,500 GVWR or higher such as flatbed trucks, vehicles with mounted equipment, mechanical or hydraulic devices designed to assist in loading or unloading freight or the transporting of other vehicles.
Recreational vehicles and travel trailers may be parked in residential neighborhoods but must be parked on private property on an improved surface. Recreational vehicles must not be parked as to cause a visibility obstruction to vehicular and pedestrian traffic.
Junk Vehicles
Please maintain property free of any junk vehicles. A junk motor vehicle is any vehicle that is inoperative and remains inoperative for more than 45 days or is inoperative and does not have a current registration sticker or inspection sticker. A junk vehicle is also any vehicle which is wrecked, dismantled or discarded. These vehicles may not be visible anywhere in the public view, public right-of-way, street or any other private property.
Parking On Unimproved Surfaces
No vehicle should be parked in the front or side yards at any time, except on a driveway or on an improved surface such as reinforced concrete. Additionally, parking in the alley is prohibited at all times so as to not interfere with the free and uninterrupted movement of traffic.
