(A) If the owner fails to comply with an order to repair, alter or improve or to vacate and close the dwelling, the Housing Inspector may:
(1) Cause the dwelling to be repaired, altered or improved or to be vacated and closed; or
(2) Cause to be posted on the main entrance of any such dwelling, a placard with the following words: “This building is unfit for human habitation; the use or occupation of this building for human habitation is prohibited and unlawful.” Occupation of a building so posted shall constitute a violation of this chapter.
(B) If the owner fails to comply with an order to repair, alter or improve or to remove or demolish the dwelling, the Housing Inspector may:
(1) Cause such dwelling to be vacated and removed or demolished; or
(2) Cause to be posted on the main entrance of any such dwelling, a placard with the following words: “This building is unfit for human habitation; the use or occupation of this building for human habitation is prohibited and unlawful.” Occupation of a building so posted shall constitute a violation of this chapter.
(C) The duties of the Housing Inspector set forth in divisions (A) and (B) above shall not be exercised until the Town Council shall have by ordinance ordered the Housing Inspector to proceed to effectuate the purpose of this chapter with respect to the particular property or properties which the Housing Inspector shall have found to be unfit for human habitation and which property or properties shall be described in this chapter. No such ordinance shall be adopted to require demolition of a dwelling until the owner has first been given a reasonable opportunity to bring it into conformity with the Housing Code. For the purposes of this division (C), a period of 90 days following the date of the Housing Inspector’s order shall constitute a reasonable opportunity. This chapter shall be recorded in the office of the Register of Deeds in the county wherein the property or properties are located and shall be indexed in the name of the property owner in the grantor index.
(D) The amount of the cost of repairs, alterations or improvements, or vacating and closing, or removal or demolition by the Housing Inspector shall be a lien against the real property upon which the cost was incurred, which lien shall be filed, have the same priority, and be collected as the lien for special assessment provided in G.S. Ch. 160A, Art. 10. If the dwelling is removed or demolished by the Housing Inspector, he or she shall sell the materials of the dwelling, and any personal property, fixture or appurtenances found in or attached to the dwelling, and shall credit the proceeds of the sale against the cost of the removal or demolition and any balance remaining shall be deposited in the Superior Court by the Housing Inspector, shall be secured in a manner directed by the Court and shall be disbursed by the Court to the persons found to be entitled thereto by final order of the decree of the Court.
(E) If any occupant fails to comply with an order to vacate a dwelling, the Housing Inspector may file a civil action in the name of the town to remove such occupant. The action to vacate the dwelling shall be in the nature of summary ejectment and shall be commenced by filing a complaint naming as parties-defendant any persons occupying such dwelling. The Clerk of Superior Court shall issue a summons requiring the defendant to appear before a magistrate at a certain time, date and place not to exceed ten days from the issuance of the summons to answer the complaint. The summons and complaint shall be served as provided in G.S. § 42-29. The summons shall be returned according to its tenor, and if on its return it appears to have been duly served, and if at the hearing the Housing Inspector produces the certified copy of an ordinance adopted by the Town Council pursuant to division (C) above authorizing the Housing Inspector to proceed to vacate the occupied dwelling, the magistrate shall enter judgment ordering that the premises be vacated and that all persons be removed. The judgment ordering that the dwelling be vacated shall be enforced in the same manner as the judgment for summary ejectment entered under G.S. § 42-30. An appeal from any judgment entered hereunder by the magistrate may be taken as provided in G.S. § 7A-228, and the execution of such judgment may be stayed as provided in G.S. § 7A-227. An action to remove an occupant of a dwelling who is a tenant of the owner may not be in the nature of a summary ejectment proceeding pursuant to this division (E) unless such occupant was served with notice at least 30 days before the filing of the summary ejectment proceeding that the Town Council has ordered the Housing inspector to proceed to exercise his or her duties under divisions (A), (B) and (C) above to vacate and close or remove and demolish the dwelling.
(Ord. 05-6, passed 4-12-2005)