Unsafe buildings are all buildings, walls or other structures which have any one or more of the following defects:
- Buildings have been damaged by fire, wind or other causes so as to have become dangerous to life, safety or the general health and welfare of the occupants or the people of the city
- Those having inadequate facilities for egress in case of fire or panic or those having insufficient stairways, elevators, fire escapes or other means of communication
- Those which have parts thereof which are so attached that they may fall and injure members of the public or property
- Those which because of their condition might constitute a hazard to health, safety or general welfare of the people of the city by reason of inadequate maintenance, dilapidation, obsolescence or abandonment
Whenever the building maintenance official finds any building, wall or other structure, or portion, to be unsafe, a written notice will be delivered to the property owner. The code official will request the owner to repair or to demolish if the structure is dilapidated, unreasonable to repair and endanger life. The code official will order a demolition within a reasonable time to comply.
If the owner of a structure fails to comply with the notice of violation, the building maintenance official will arrange for a contract or public agency to remove or to demolish the structure. The cost of demolition and removal will be charged to the property owner and will be collected by the city as taxes and levies. After the code official declares a structure unsafe, the property owner will have the right to appeal to the local board of building code appeals. An appeal must be filed with the board within 14 days after the date of the notice delivered or mailed to the property owner. The property owner who fails to comply with the notice issued will be guilty of a class 1 misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed $2,500.