Still, some residents at the property asked the Journal Sentinel what it takes for a property to be considered a nuisance since the Fifth Street School does not meet the requirements.

“I can’t believe what’s going on here hasn’t been considered a nuisance,” said Piper Thomas, a resident at the apartment complex.

What makes a property a nuisance?

The two main government entities that deal with nuisance properties are the Milwaukee Police Department and the City of Milwaukee Department of Neighborhood Services.

A property can be labeled as a nuisance when there is regular “activity” that affects the whole neighborhood, residents of the building or workers in a commercial space, according to Neighborhood Services.

Some examples of nuisances include:  

• Pets or animals that disturb neighbors 

A property can be considered a nuisance if a minimum of three phone calls to the police in 30 days in under a year. Milwaukee police do not need to convict anyone for the three calls to count towards a nuisance classification.  

Police also do not need to witness the nuisance activity for the property to fit the classification, according to a Milwaukee police procedural document.  

Milwaukee Police stated that the Fifth Street School Apartments do not currently meet the call volume requirements to be listed as a nuisance property, despite receiving hundreds of police calls in the last five years.

Residents told the Journal Sentinel some tenants recently stopped calling the police to report problems within the building because they had lost confidence that something would be done about the issues they faced. 

If the property does not meet the call volume requirement, but there are still concerns about resident safety, the police department’s Community Partnership Unit may still follow up with the property.

If the Community Partnership Unit steps in, the next steps may include assigning an officer to lead an investigation into the property and imposing potential penalties if the property owner does not work to resolve the problems with the property.  

What happens once a property is labeled as a nuisance?

The Department of Neighborhood Services will send a letter to the property owner requesting a plan to fix the issues once it is given a nuisance designation. The owner must send over their plan for remediation, and if it is approved by the department, they have 45 days to put the plan into action, or they can be fined.

If the owners feel the designation is unwarranted, they can appeal; however, if the appeal is denied, the owner must then send over a plan to resolve the issues or face potential fines.

If there are no calls reporting nuisance activity in those 45 days, then it will remain listed as a nuisance property for one year. The nuisance designation will expire at the end of the year-long monitoring period if no continued issues arise.

If the problems continue, Neighborhood Services will ask the property owner for a modified plan, and the owner will need to submit one within 10 days of the request, and the year-long monitoring period will restart.

The property owner will be billed every 30 days if the problems are not resolved. Three bills in one year will cause the property to be labeled as a “chronic nuisance,” and the citations could increase to amounts between $1,000 and $5,000.

How to get a property investigated as a nuisance

If residents are concerned that a property presents severe public safety issues, they should first contact the property owner or manager to resolve the issues.

Concerned neighbors can use the Department of Neighborhood Services’ property data to find contact information for nearby property owners or call (414) 286-2286 for assistance.

If that does not work, they contact Milwaukee Police through its non-emergency number at (414) 933-4444, or the anonymous tipline, P3Tips, which can also be reached at (414) 224-TIPS. It will help to have photos or other pieces of evidence to show to officers.

Residents can also request an inspector from Neighborhood Services. Depending on the tip, the inspector may come to the property and provide the police with their findings.

Local organizations like Community Advocates can also help with tenant-landlord disputes and things related to nuisance properties. If a resident is living in a Berrada Properties building, the organization has a division dedicated to tenant settlement compensation and assistance.