07-26-2007 City wins ruling, shuts down illegal tattoo business

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and Marc Nelson and Charles Przybylski of the county health department's environmental division. As soon as the investigation was complete, the city on June 27 filed a motion for contempt with the St. Joseph County Superior Court. This morning's ruling came more than three years after the City of South Bend first obtained a permanent injunction against the Campbells from using the property or another location in the city to operate a tattoo or body-piercing business without licensing. Police, code-enforcement and health-department authorities this morning seized items associated with the tattoo and body-piercing operations, including designs, needles, inks, studs, hoops, rings and jewelry. The Campbells had operated since 2002, but had never obtained a city license. They repeatedly were informed of the licensing requirements of their business through warning notices dating back to August 2003. Although they had applied for a health department permit between 2002 and 2004, they had never sought any of the legally required city licenses. The city's actions culminated in obtaining a restraining order in March 2004. In addition to the illegal tattoo business, the property has ongoing code issues, including three unlicensed pit bulls on the premises, said Catherine Toppel, director of code enforcement. - 30 -