1992 Ordinances - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

1992-53 AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND CHAPTER 17 OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF PORTSMOUTH, VIRGINIA, 1988, BY AMENDING SECTION 17-1(b), (c) AND (d); 17-26 AND 17-132 THEREOF, PERTAINING TO HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT. BE IT ORDAINED by the Council of th~ City of Portsmouth, Virginia: 1. That Section 17-1(b) and (c) of the Code of the City of Portsmouth, Virginia, 1988, be amended to read as follows: Section 17-1. Dangerous buildings. (b) Whenever the code official shall find any structure, house, or dwelling place or portion thereof to be unsafe as defined in subsection (a) of this section, he shall give the owner, agent for the owner or person in control of such building or structure, and lien holder, in control of such building or structure written notice. This notice shall require the owner, agent for the owner or person in control of such building within a stated time to complete improvements or demolish or remove the building, structure or portion thereof. (c) If an owner, agent for the owner, or person in control of such building fails, refuses or neglects to comply with the notice provided for in subsection (b) of this section, the code official shall ascertain the cost to demolish and remove the building, structure, or portion thereof, and shall cause SUCh building, structure, or portion thereof, to be demolished and removed from the lot or property. The code official shall thereafter transmit to the city treasurer a statement of all costs incurred including a thirty-five dollar ($35.00) fee to cover the administrative expenses of the code official, which costs shall be added to the taxes assessed against the real property on which the nuisance existed and shall be collected with such taxes by any manner prescribed by law for the collection of city taxes. Such costs shall also be docketed in the nuisance abatement lien docket book maintained in the office of the city treasurer as a lien against the real property on which the nuisance existed, and shall rank on a parity with liens for unpaid local taxes, which lien shall exist until removed by payment of such costs in full. In lieu of causing the building, structure, or portion thereof, to be demolished, the director may institute legal proceedings as may be deemed necessary for the failure, refusal or neglect to comply with his order of notice. (d) Except as otherwise specifically provided, a violation of any provision of this chapter, including any provision of the building code adopted by Section 7-96, shall constitute a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500.00); additionally, if the violation concerns a residential unit and if the violation remains