Beginning in early July, Aurora will have a new way of handling neglected homes and buildings in the city. It comes after Aurora City Council adopted an ordinance June 9. 

According to the ordinance, if a property owner does not comply with requirements to bring their property up to code, it will be done for them at their expense, and it could include hefty daily fines.

"I want to see homeowners in Aurora be responsible homeowners," said council member Stephanie Hancock, who represents Ward IV.

Since joining city council in 2024, Hancock says she hears from residents every day, many with complains about neglected homes and abandoned buildings in Aurora.

"And they were concerned their property values were being impacted," Hancock said of the calls and emails from residents.

Having seen some concerning properties -- both residential and commercial -- Hancock decided to take action. She sponsored The Neglected or Derelict Building or Property Ordinance, which is aimed at holding property owners accountable with greater daily fines for continual code violations but with a "compliance first" approach.

"This is not about coming down hard on people, you know big brother, 'coming after you because you're not doing what we want,'" Hancock explained. "This is an effort to say, 'Listen, this is your responsibility. We're holding you accountable. We want to help you move forward if you're having difficulties.'"

The ordinance was adopted just days after CBS Colorado's reporting on some of Aurora's chronic violator properties. That includes a home owned by Andris Berzins -- one of eight rental homes he has in the city that have received dozens of citations over the last decade, including violations of unlawful storage and not removing trash. Berzins, whose wife, Marsha Berzins, is running for Aurora City Council and co-owns some of the rental homes, told CBS Colorado he doesn't see any issues with his properties.

"They decided that I am not good," Berzins said of the city's code enforcement office.

Due to repeated violations, Berzins was summoned to municipal court on June 12 and pleaded guilty. As part of a plea agreement, he was issued a $2,650 fine of which he only must pay $300. The remainder of the fine is contingent on Berzins bringing his property up to code by July 22 and staying compliant for a year.

"In one way, it is like playing whack-a-mole," Hancock said.

Hancock believes there is a concerning trend of some property owners treating code violation fines as a sort of, "routine cost of business," not an incentive to comply with city code. So, as part of the new ordinance, Hancock said property owners could be slapped with $999 daily fines.

"We want to make it painful if people refuse to come into compliance," Hancock said. "It's really an effort to just make our community better."

The ordinance, as described in city documents, is a "last resort measure" to empower the city to seek court intervention when a property has fallen into such disrepair that it poses a serious threat to the health, safety, and well-being of those around it.

"I don't believe it's the city's function to get involved in real estate," Hancock added. "But what we want is for people to care about the community that they live and work in and do business in, and be good stewards of the properties that they have."