(a) If any structure shall become abandoned, the structure shall be presumed to be a nuisance affecting or endangering surrounding property values and to be detrimental to the public health, safety, convenience, comfort, property or general welfare of the community, and the same shall be abated.
(b) Whenever the Mayor and/or his or her designee shall find any structure to be abandoned within the meaning of this section, he or she shall give notice in the same manner as service of a summons in civil action, or by certified mail addressed to the owner of record of the premises at his or her last known address or to the address to which tax bills are sent, or by a combination of the foregoing methods, to abate the abandoned condition within 30 days, by placing the structure in operation in accordance with this section, adapting and using the structure for another use, or razing the structure, removing all debris, any signs, goods, supplies and equipment, and filling depressions to the grade level of the lot; provided, however, that if the structure is in use at the time that notice is given and remains in operation for 90 consecutive days, the provisions of this section shall not apply.
(c) Upon the failure, neglect or refusal of any owner to comply with the notice to abate an abandoned structure, the Mayor and/or his or her designee shall advise the Director of Law of all the facts and the Director of Law shall proceed to exercise on behalf of the city any remedy which shall then be available to it to secure the abatement, including any remedy that pertains to the abatement of a public nuisance, and to recover any damages or enforce any penalties which may be recovered or imposed by the city.
(d) In the case of unoccupied or inoperative structures, whether or not abandoned, the lot upon which any such structure is located, with any other unoccupied lot, shall be maintained in accordance with the provisions of this chapter. Any such lot shall be provided with grass or other appropriate ground cover or landscaping material so as to assure absorption of rainfall and prevent erosion and rapid run-off of surface water. The owner shall cut and maintain all grass or other ground cover and remove all rubbish and weeds from the premises. The parking of motor vehicles upon the premises shall be prohibited and the Mayor and/or his or her designee may order the owner of the premises to install fencing approved by the Mayor and/or his or her designee, which fencing will be sufficient to block motor vehicle access to the property.
(Ord. 23-89, passed 9-5-1989; Ord. 26-2008, passed 8-4-2008)