Public Health Nuisance

The Defiance County Health Department needs citizen participation to assist in the prevention and elimination of hazards to the public health. A nuisance is an act or omission that obstructs, damages, or inconveniences the rights of the community. It covers a wide variety of matters that threaten the health, morals, safety, comfort, convenience, or welfare of a community . A public health nuisance is a legally actionable nuisance that violates Ohio codified law and has the potential to negatively threaten the public health of a community .

The health district does not enforce any building or housing maintenance code (currently there are no building codes or housing maintenance codes for Defiance County) for issues dealing with electrical, plumbing, roofing, structure, etc. You may check with your city/ village offices to find out if there are residential building codes within your city/ village.

A concerned citizen should take the following two steps prior to filing a formal complaint with the health district:

  1. Ask yourself if the nuisance condition is health related. The enforcement ability of public health is limited to conditions which threaten the public health. A condition may certainly be a nuisance to you, but it may not be a public health nuisance.
  2. Address your concerns to the offending party and attempt to work out a solution directly. If you attempt to resolve the problem, but are unsuccessful, then it may be appropriate to file a public health nuisance complaint.

Complaints are generally investigated in the order in which they are received. Turn around time is usually a week to ten days, but may be less, depending on the number of complaints received.

Once a nuisance complaint is filed with our office, it becomes a public record. Anyone may obtain a copy of a complaint file upon request by submitting the request form found below. 

Types of Public Health Nuisance Complaints Investigated by DCHD

  • Cistern and Well Complaints
  • Food Service Complaints
  • Insect/ Vermin Complaints
  • Sewage Treatment System Complaints
  • Smoke-Free Workplace Complaints
  • Potential Tobacco Product Violation -Potential tobacco product violations include (but are not limited to):
  • Sales to underage purchasers
  • Flavored cigarette sales
  • Illegal marketing and advertising – The Tobacco Control Act gives the FDA the ability to regulate certain marketing and advertising activities by the tobacco industry, including:
  • Describing tobacco products as “light,” “mild,” or “low” – or claiming a product is safer or less harmful without an FDA order
  • Distributing t-shirts or other promotional or novelty items with brand names of cigarette or smokeless tobacco products 
  • Sponsoring events using the brand name of a tobacco product
  • Distribution of free samples of tobacco products except in limited circumstances
  • Selling tobacco products with the assistance of a vending machine in facilities where individuals under 21 are present or permitted to enter at any time
  • Selling cigarettes or smokeless tobacco via self-service displays in facilities where individuals under 21 are present or permitted to enter at any time
  • Sale of cigarettes in packages of less than 20
  • Manufacture or sale of unauthorized tobacco products

Nuisance Reporting and Investigation

Defiance County is working hard to meet the needs of the community. If you have observed conditions, which may be causing a nuisance, fill out the form below. Once completed, this form is not visible to the public. Upon submission, it is reported to the Defiance County Health Department.

In the event of a Public Health Emergency, Class A Reportable Disease, or Bioterrorism Event, please contact the Defiance County Sheriff at (419) 784-1155 or call 911.

To file a complaint with the Defiance County Nuisance Task Force please read the following:

Not every condition meets the definition of a public nuisance. There may be conditions that you personally may not like or want to live in, but people do have the freedom to choose how they live. The issue is when those choices affect the life and safety of others, which can include people living in such conditions that they are endangering themselves.

After filling out the complaint form it will be sent electronically to the Defiance County Health Department. The form and information will be evaluated and sent to the agency that has jurisdiction or authority.

Be advised that you may be contacted for more details. Complaints may take an extended period of time for resolution because of reporting and investigation time. Not every issue can be resolved to the complainant’s complete satisfaction.

To file a complaint with the Defiance County Nuisance Task Force please read the following:
Name
Name
First Name
Last Name
Please indicate to the best of your knowledge the date the nuisance was observed.
Please select the type of nuisance(s) of concern. Click the links below the submit button for a description of each nuisance.
Type of service(s) you are seeking:
Bed Bugs in Home Solid Waste Mold in Home Lead in Home Landlord/Tenant Issues Hoarding No Heat in Home/Plumbing Mosquito Breeding Ground Open Burning Illegal Dumping Manure Application Potential Tobacco Product Violation
Bed Bugs

The presence of bed bugs in a home, school or commercial setting is not considered a public health nuisance because bed bugs are not known to carry or transmit diseases.

There are several agencies in Defiance County that can provide educational information. There are a few agencies that can provide financial assistance to a home owner.

The presence of bed bugs in a hotel or motel is regulated by the State’s Fire Marshall office. To report a concern, call 1-888-276-0303.

Solid Waste

Solid waste is defined as unwanted residual solid or semisolid material as results from industrial, commercial, agricultural, and community operations, excluding earth or material from construction, mining, or demolition operations.

The City of Defiance and village municipalities have ordinances that can address properties with solid waste issues.

Residents living outside of a municipality can contact their township zoning inspector.

Mold in Home

Molds are fungi that can be found both indoors and outdoors. Molds grow best in warm, damp, and humid conditions, and spread and reproduce by making spores.

Some people are sensitive to molds. For these people, exposure to molds can lead to symptoms such as stuffy nose, wheezing, and red or itchy eyes, or skin. Some people, such as those with allergies to molds or with asthma, may have more intense reactions.

Generally, it is not necessary to identify the species of mold growing in a residence, and CDC does not recommend routine sampling for molds.

There are multiple agencies that can provide education resources and depending on other circumstances there maybe financial assistance as well.

Lead in Home

Lead can damage nearly every system in the human body, and has harmful effects on both adults and children.

Most children with lead poisoning do not show signs and symptoms right away. The only reliable way to know if your child has been exposed to lead is to get them tested

The Ohio Department of Health Bureau of Environmental Health and Radiation Protection has legal authority over homes with lead as well as children who have tested positive for lead in their blood. Their contact number is 1-877-LEADSAFE (532-3723).

Local agencies can provide educational resources to individuals.

Landlord/Tenant Issues

Ohio Landlord Tenant Law can be found in the Ohio Revised Codes, Title 53, Chapter 5321.

This code provides the rights and responsibilities of both landlords and tenants for residential rental properties. It is the responsibility of all parties to a landlord-tenant relationship to know and understand their responsibilities and to comply with all relevant statutes under Ohio Landlord Tenant Laws.

Hoarding

Hoarding is defined as a mental illness that may cause significant distress or impairment as a result of the acquisition and or the failure to discard an extreme number of possessions that appear to be useless or of limited value to other people.

There are agencies, such as NOCAC that can provide education and potentially financial assistance on a case-by-case situation.

Local municipalities have rules and regulations to also address hoarding activities on private property.

No Heat in Home/Plumbing

There are agencies that can provide resources, including financial to people who qualify.

Local building codes may also be of assistance.

Mosquito Breeding Ground

Mosquitos are known vectors of disease and can be considered a public health nuisance.

Standing water, which can include tires, pots, and other debris which can hold water can allow for the breeding of mosquitos.

Open Burning

Under Ohio law, these materials may not be burned anywhere in the state at any time: garbage—any wastes created in the process of handling, preparing, cooking or consuming food; materials containing rubber, grease and asphalt or made from petroleum, such as tires, cars and auto parts, plastics or plastic coated wire; and dead animals—unless approved for control of disease by a governing agency.

Local regulations can also have ordinances on open burning.

Illegal Dumping

Dumping waste, such as discarded trash, oil, appliances, scrap tires, furniture and other items, on private or public land and waterways is strictly prohibited by Ohio law.

Ohio Revised Code also prohibits unauthorized persons from knowingly placing litter and household wastes in a private litter/trash receptacle, unless he or she has authorization to use the litter/trash receptacle or the waste materials were generated on the public property where the receptacle is located.

Manure Application

Application restrictions include: On snow-covered or frozen soil; When the top 2 inches of the soil are saturated from precipitation; When the local weather forecast for the application area contains greater than 50 percent chance of precipitation exceeding one-half inch in a 24-hour period.

Restrictions do not apply if: The manure is injected into the ground; Manure is incorporated with 24 hours of surface application, using a tillage tool operated at a minimum of 3-4 inches deep; The manure is applied onto a growing crop; or The chief of the Division of Soil and Water Conservation has provided written consent for an emergency application.

The Ohio Department of Agriculture Division of Soil and Water Conservation regulates such issues. Their contact number is (614) 265-6610.

Potential Tobacco Product Violation
Additional Forms