A. If the owner of any deteriorated dwelling shall fail to comply with an order of the Inspector to repair, alter, or improve the same within the time specified therein, or if the owner of a dilapidated dwelling shall fail to comply with an order of the public officer to vacate and close, and remove or demolish the same within the time specified therein, the officer shall submit to the city council at its next regular meeting an ordinance authorizing the officer to proceed to effectuate the purpose of this Article with respect to the particular property or properties which the officer shall have found to be unfit for habitation and which property or properties shall be described in the ordinance. No such ordinance shall be adopted to require demolition of a dwelling until the owner has first been given a reasonable opportunity to bring the dwelling or dwelling unit into conformity with the housing code. This ordinance shall be recorded in the office of the register of deeds in McDowell County and shall be indexed in the name of the property owner in the grantor index.
B. After failure of an owner of a deteriorated dwelling, or of a dilapidated dwelling, to comply with an order of the officer within the time specified therein, if injunctive relief has not been sought or has not been granted as provided in subsection (a), the officer shall submit to the city council an ordinance ordering the officer to cause such dwelling to be repaired, altered, improved, or vacated and closed and removed or demolished, as provided in the original order of the officer, and pending such removal or demolition, to placard such dwelling 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 or structure so posted shall constitute a Class 1 misdemeanor as provided by G.S. § 160D-1203.
(Ord. No. O-21-06-15-5, §1, 6-15-21)