(a)  Failure to comply with any ordinance, rule, or regulation passed pursuant either to the authority hereof or to any special act governing minimum housing shall constitute a violation, as defined in § 11-1-2, punishable by a fine of not more than five hundred dollars ($500) for each violation, and each day’s failure to comply with any provision shall constitute a separate violation. The district court shall have exclusive original jurisdiction of all violations as provided in § 12-3-1; provided, that in the city of Providence, the Providence housing court shall have jurisdiction to try violations occurring within the city of Providence; provided, further, that in the town of North Providence, the municipal court of the town of North Providence shall have jurisdiction to try violations occurring within the town of North Providence, but only in the event that the city shall by ordinance create a court for the purpose of exercising jurisdiction over minimum housing standards. A party aggrieved by any judgment of the district court imposing a fine pursuant to this section may seek review by the supreme court in accordance with § 12-22-1.1.

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Terms Used In Rhode Island General Laws 45-24.2-7

  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • town: may be construed to include city; the words "town council" include city council; the words "town clerk" include city clerk; the words "ward clerk" include clerk of election district; the words "town treasurer" include city treasurer; and the words "town sergeant" include city sergeant. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-9
  • Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.

(b)  The city council of the city of Providence may establish within its housing court a separate calendar within the jurisdiction of the housing court to be known and referred to as the “lead court calendar” for the hearing trial and disposition of actions involving lead within buildings and on premises or property in the city of Providence, including, but not limited to, actions brought pursuant to chapter 24.6 of Title 23 (“Lead Poisoning Prevention Act”) and/or chapter 128.1 of Title 42 (“Lead Hazard Mitigation”). The jurisdiction of the “lead court calendar” of the Providence housing court shall be concurrent with any other court or entity given jurisdiction to hear such matters under the general laws. A justice of the lead court calendar may defer or order a case removed to another court or forum of competent jurisdiction, including, but not limited to, an appropriate administrative agency, if the judge determines that such other court or forum would be a more appropriate court or forum to hear the matter involved.

History of Section.
P.L. 1962, ch. 87, § 1; P.L. 1977, ch. 277, § 4; P.L. 1978, ch. 182, § 2; P.L. 1986, ch. 547, § 8; P.L. 1995, ch. 17, § 3; P.L. 1996, ch. 214, § 1; P.L. 2011, ch. 89, § 1; P.L. 2011, ch. 135, § 1.