For the purpose of this subchapter, the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.
CHIEF BUILDING OFFICIAL. The Village Administrator of the Village of Bluffton or his or her designee.
OWNER. Any person who, alone or jointly or severally with others, shall have the legal or equitable title to a property and shall include executors, administrators, trustees or guardians of the estate of the owner, and any purchaser or assignee under a certificate of sale pursuant to a mortgage foreclosure. The term OWNER shall also include partnerships and corporations and other unincorporated associations. Any individual OWNER, regardless of whether he or she shares ownership responsibility with other persons, any general partner of a partnership, and any officer of a corporation or unincorporated association shall have direct and personal responsibility and liability for compliance with the provisions of this subchapter.
VACANT BUILDING.
(1) Any structure or part of a structure which is unoccupied and which constitutes an unsafe building or public nuisance as defined as follows.
(2) UNSAFE BUILDING or PUBLIC NUISANCE.
(a) As used in this subchapter shall mean and include the following:
1. Any building, house, shed, fence or other human-made structure or parts thereof which by reason of its condition endangers human health, life or limb or is likely to cause the spread of disease or otherwise cause injury to the health of persons, or to surrounding neighborhood structures;
2. Any building, house, shed, fence or other human-made structure or parts thereof which by reason of faulty construction, age, lack of proper repair or other cause, is especially liable to occurrence of fire and constitutes or creates a fire hazard;
3. Any building, house, shed, fence or other human-made structure or parts thereof which by reason of faulty construction, age, lack of proper repair or any other cause, is especially liable to cause injury or damage to person or property by collapse or by the danger of collapse of any part of the structure;
4. Any building, house, shed, fence or other human-made structure or parts thereof which because of its condition or lack of doors or windows is unsecured, open and available to and frequented by malefactors or disorderly persons or juveniles who are not lawful occupants of such structure;
5. Any building, house, shed, fence, other human-made structure or surrounding area to any of the foregoing structures which by reason of continued vacancy and/or lack of reasonable and adequate maintenance causes a deteriorating and blighting influence on nearby properties and causes depreciation in the use, enjoyment, and value of properties in the immediately surrounding area to such an extent that it is harmful to the community in which such structure is situated; and
6. Any vacant building, house, shed or other human-made structure or parts thereof which, in addition to being vacant as defined herein, is also open and unsecured to trespass and which is not brought into compliance with the ordinances of the village within the six-month period or any extension granted as set forth in § 150.33(F).
(b) Any structure in the village falling within the meaning of any of the foregoing definitions of UNSAFE BUILDING is hereby declared to be illegal and to constitute a public nuisance which shall be subject to mandatory abatement by repair or demolition in accordance with the provisions of this subchapter or other applicable law or regulation.
(Ord. 08-05, passed 9-12-2005) Penalty, see § 150.99