The municipality will not enforce or investigate anonymous complaints.

The role of the By-law Enforcement Officer includes education, investigation and enforcement of all By-laws within the Township. It is not necessary for a By-law Enforcement Officer to attend each site to carryout enforcement procedures. Usually, the officer will rely on information provided by the complainant.

To view frequently requested by-laws visit our By-laws Page. 

To view all of the Township's by-laws, please visit our Minden Hills Civic Web Portal.

You should report any criminal activity directly to the Ontario Provincial Police, such as:

• Vandalism
• Trespassing
• Driving Complaints
• Domestic Disputes
• Littering

Residents can also report a crime online using the OPP Report a Crime online form.

It is always best if neighbours, residents and visitors can respectfully resolve their issues without the need for By-law Enforcement. If possible, discuss the problem with your neighbour. Remember to focus on the issue, listen to their concerns, and look for mutually beneficial solutions. 

If your efforts to resolve the matter with your neighbour have been unsuccessful, the Township's By-law Enforcement team may be able to assist in resolving the issue. Contact the By-law Enforcement Team to learn about the Township's By-laws and if they apply to your situation.

To file a formal complaint with the By-Law Enforcement Officer, please use one of the following methods. 

A written complaint can be completed using the Complaint form - By-law Complaint Form.

Email your complaint to By-law for processing.

A written complaint or completed complaint forms can be submitted by mail to the Township of Minden Hills Administration Office.

Mailing address: P.O. Box 359,7 Milne Street, Minden Hills, Ontario K0M 2K0

A written complaint or completed complaint form can be dropped off to the Township Administration Office (7 Milne St., Minden), 2^nd Floor Building and Planning Department.

The Township of Minden Hills will act on written complaints from the public concerning alleged by-law violations. Our Enforcement Officers will offer assistance and direction with respect to by-law concerns; however, an investigation will only be initiated once the complaint is received in writing. Anonymous complaints will not be investigated. Your personal information will be kept confidential; however, should the matter proceed to Court, it may be necessary for you to attend as a witness to the violation.

Upon receipt of the written complaint, a By-law Enforcement Officer will within 5 business days be assigned to investigate and determine the validity of the complaint and the nature of the infraction relative to our existing by-laws. You will be advised accordingly whether the complaint is valid or refer you to another government agency to assist you. If the complaint is valid, it will be assigned a file number, please reference it when asking for information.

If the matter is rectified, the investigation will be closed. If the by-law infraction continues, proper paperwork must be completed, and individuals will be provided with time for compliance. If compliance can't be achieved through education and assistance from the township, the By-law Enforcement Officer may undertake legal action.

The Township of Minden Hills will not investigate or act on anonymous complaints. The complainant must submit a written complaint using the municipalities complaint form. The complainant must supply their name, address and telephone number. A clear description of the alleged complaint is required.

Once a complaint form is properly completed it will be accepted and entered into the municipalities tracking system and assigned a case number. The complainant will then be sent an email advising them of the assigned number. The complainant should reference this number when interacting with staff regarding the complaint.

The complaint will be assigned to a By-law/Property Standards Officer who will be responsible for the investigation.

If the complaint relates to vital services and is determined by staff to be urgent in nature, the matter will be prioritized. An Officer will be dispatched within two business days. The officer will investigate to determine if there is a contravention of the municipality’s by-laws. Non urgent matters will be investigated within five business days from the day the complaint is received.

If it is determined by the investigating officer that the by-law has been violated, an Order to Remedy the violation will be issued. The officer will prepare a property standards report and issue the order.

The building code act provides the officer with authority to enter upon the property where the violation is alleged to have occurred for the purpose of investigating the property standards complaint. This may involve but is not limited to talking to witnesses, taking pictures or samples.

Property Standards Orders can be registered on title of the offending property by the municipality. Once the matter is resolved the Order can be removed.

If the officer finds a violation has occurred, he/she will issue an order to the alleged violator/property owner to remedy the matter. The order contains the following information.

• name and contact information for the investigating officer
• the date and time the inspection of the property was conducted
• a list of the alleged violations or deficiencies
• the number of days given for compliance to be achieved. 

The alleged offender/property owner is generally given 14-30 days to comply with the order.

This depends on the amount of work required and the severity of the matter.

An Officer cannot extend the time allowed for compliance. Extensions are the responsibility of the Property Standards Committee.

The individual that has been served a property Standards Order may choose to exercise one of three options:

• Comply with the order
• Fail to comply with the order
• Appeal the order to the Property Standards Committee
  • An owner/occupant who has been served an order and who is not satisfied with the terms and conditions of the order may appeal to the Committee by sending a notice of appeal by registered mail. If a mail strike is on, the notice can be delivered by courier or in person to:
  • Township of Minden Hills, Clerks Department, 7 Milne Street, P.O. Box 359, Minden, Ontario K0M 2K0

In accordance with the times set out in the order, if compliance is achieved the individual must notify the Property Standards Officer. The Officer will book a time to inspect the property and ensure all issues have been resolved. When the Officer confirms that all issues have been resolved as outlined in the order the file will be updated. A letter confirming compliance will be sent to the individual. If the order has been registered on title, it will be removed.

 

Should all work outlined in the Property Standards Order not be completed in a manner that is satisfactory to the Property Standards Officer and the order has not been appealed within the appeal period. It will be considered that the property owner/occupant is Failing to Comply with the order. The order will be deemed confirmed and binding no further appeal will be allowed to the Committee.

Once the Property Standards Order is deemed confirmed by noncompliance, the Township may take legal action against the property owner through the courts.

If an order of an officer is not complied with in accordance with the order as deemed confirmed or as confirmed or modified by the committee or a Judge, the municipality may cause the property to be repaired or demolished accordingly.

If the municipality is required to carry out repairs, clearance of a property or court action. The cost of such action and any other applicable fee shall be deemed municipal property taxes.

A conviction of an individual carries a maximum fine of $50,000.00 for a first offence and $100,000.00 for each subsequent offence.

A conviction of a corporation carries a maximum fine of $500,000.00 for a first offence and $1,500,000.00 for each subsequent offence.

The occupant/owner may appeal the Property Standards Order within the designated appeal period (fourteen days form the date served) to the Property Standards Committee.

The committee may rescind, amend or confirm the order. The Committee also has the power to extend the time to complete repairs or removal.

An occupant/property owner may appeal the decision of a Property Standards Committee to a Judge of the Superior Court of Justice.

If such an appeal is made the occupant/property owner must notify the Township's Clerks Office of the appeal action.

An appeal must be filed within fourteen days after the decision is made.

The court may rescind, amend or confirm the order.

The court order becomes final and binding.

For fee’s related to Property Standards enforcement please refer to our fees bylaw or the chart below.