(a) General Provisions. The designation of buildings as being unfit for human habitation or use and the procedure for the condemnation and placarding of such building shall be carried out in accordance with the requirements set forth in this section.
(b) Designation of Buildings as Unfit for Habitation. Any building which shall be found to have any of the following defects shall be condemned as unfit for human habitation or use and shall be so designated and placarded by the Housing Inspector.
(1) One which is so damaged, decayed, dilapidated, unsanitary, unsafe or vermin infected that it is hazardous to the health or safety of the occupants or of the public.
(2) One which lacks illumination, ventilation or sanitation facilities adequate to protect the health or safety of the occupants or of the public.
(3) One which because of its general condition is unsanitary or otherwise hazardous to the health or safety of the occupants or of the public.
(c) Vacation of Premises. No owner or other person shall continue to occupy or use or let the permit to be occupied or used or let by another for occupancy or use any building which has been condemned as unfit for human habitation or use. The building shall be vacated within a reasonable time as ordered by the Housing Inspector.
(d) Notices. Whenever the Housing Inspector determines that a building is unfit for human habitation or use:
(1) He shall serve notice pursuant to Section 1331.04(b), and
(2) He shall affix to such building or portion thereof, upon the door or entrance thereto, a placard on which shall be printed a declaration that such building or portion thereof is unfit for human habitation. The Housing Inspector shall remove such placard whenever the violation or violations upon which the condemnation and placarding action were based have been eliminated.
(e) Securing of Vacant Building. No owner of any vacant building shall fail to maintain securance of all doors and windows of such vacant building or fail to maintain yards, areas and entire premises of such vacant building free from trash, debris, and rank growth of weeds, grass, hedges, shrubs or trees.
(f) Standards for Securing Vacant Buildings. In securing a building or structure such building or structure shall be secured in an approved workmanlike manner.
(1) Any opening to be secured, including doors and windows, shall be covered uniformly and entirely with one construction material when standards sizes permit, from the outside of any building or structure.
(2) Only one type of securing material may be used on all openings, including doors and windows, on a single building or structure. Such securing material must be of a single color, texture, grade, weight and/or gauge per building or structure application.
(g) Discontinuance of Utilities in Buildings Vacated as Unfit for Human Habitation or Use. In any building which has been condemned and placarded as unfit for human habitation or use and vacated, the Housing Inspector may cause any or all utilities serving such building to be discontinued or disconnected until such time as the defects upon which the condemnation and placarding of the building were based have been eliminated. The Housing Inspector may cause any or all utilities serving such building to be discontinued by notifying the public utility or utilities serving such building that the building has been condemned as being unfit for human occupancy or use and vacated. Upon receipt of such notice, the public utility or utilities shall be disconnected or discontinue the utility service within a reasonable time. Such notice shall include the date the order was issued and the date the property was first vacated; a copy of the order relating to the building shall be attached. Upon prior written approval by the Housing Inspector any utility or utilities available to a building that has been condemned as unfit for human habitation or use and vacated may be resumed or reconnected for the purpose of facilitating compliance with the notice of violation issued pursuant to Section 1331.04(b). Except as provided herein, no person shall resume or reconnect any utility or cause resumption or re-connection of any utility which has been discontinued or disconnected as provided herein without first obtaining prior written approval by the Housing Inspector.
(h) Re-occupancy of Building. No building which has been condemned and placarded as unfit for human habitation or use shall again be used for human habitation or use until written approval is secured from, and such placard is removed by, the Housing Inspector. The Housing Inspector shall remove such placard whenever the defects upon which the condemnation and placarding action were based have been eliminated.
(i) Tampering or Removing Placard. Except as provided in Section 1331.05(h), no person shall deface or remove the placard from any building which has been condemned as unfit for human habitation or use and placarded as such.
(Ord. 89-21. Passed 5-1-89.)