Good Idea

A new weapon against urban decay: Blight court

Starting next week, Detroit has a new, more powerful weapon to force owners of decayed properties to clean them up and repair them: blight court.

Actually, it is not a court at all. Under the new legal process, building code violations will be heard not by judges, but by administrative hearing officers. And such violations will no longer be criminal offenses but civil infractions.

The new setup is designed to handle cases more speedily than the overburdened courts, using methods not available in criminal cases. Hearing officers will have authority to attach people's wages and bank accounts, place liens on any property they own, even block them from renewing their driver's licenses.