(a) The Building Official, or a person delegated by him, shall be empowered to examine or cause to be examined any building or dwelling within the Municipality, to determine whether such building or dwelling is dangerous, unsafe or constitutes a nuisance, as provided by this chapter, and may apply to a court of competent jurisdiction for an administrative search warrant to enter said premises for inspection.
(b) The Building Official shall examine or cause to be examined every building or structure or portion thereof reported or believed to be a dangerous building. Unless another deadline is established under this chapter, the owner shall comply with the notice of violation within thirty (30) days. The Building Official shall give written notice to the record title holders and lienholders of the property by personal service or by regular First Class U.S. Mail and shall post signs on the dangerous building in accordance with Section 1311.05 of the Building Official’s intent to repair or remove the building. If any emergency exists, notice may be given by the above means fifteen (15) days prior to repair or removal.
If personal service is not obtained and the notice of violation is returned as undeliverable by the USPS, the Building Official shall cause the notice of violation to be made by publication in a newspaper of general circulation in the Municipality. The publication shall be published at least once a week for four (4) consecutive weeks and shall contain the name, address, and phone number of the office of the Building Official, the address of the dangerous building, the name and last known address of the owner of the dangerous building, a summary statement that the building has been determined to be dangerous and that the building must be repaired or removed, and that the owner is required to contact the Building Official and comply with the notice of violation within fifteen (15) days after the last date of publication.
The Building Official may grant an extension of time for compliance with the notice of violation upon the owner’s written request and for good cause shown.
(c) It shall be unlawful for the owner of any dwelling unit or structure who has received a notice pursuant to paragraph (b), or whom a notice of violation has been served, to sell, transfer, lease, mortgage or otherwise dispose of property to another until the provisions of the notice of violation have been complied with, or until such owner shall first furnish the grantee, transferee, mortgagee, or lessee with such notice of violation issued by the Building Official and furnish the Building Official with a signed and notarized statement from the grantee, transferee, mortgagee, or lessee, acknowledging the receipt of such notice of violation and fully accepting the responsibility, without condition, for making the corrections or repairs required by such notice of violation.
(Ord. 7-2016. Passed 8-8-16.)