ord-09-2025-dangerous-buildings.pdf

Exactly as extracted, unformatted — for checking against the original. The readable version is easier to read.

TOWN COUNCIL OF CENTREVILLE
ORDINANCE NO. 09-2025
AN ORDINANCE OF THE TOWN COUNCIL OF CENTREVILLE TO AMEND
CHAPTER 31 DANGEROUS BUILDINGS TO ALLOW THE COSTS OF REPAIR,
VACATION AND/OR DEMOLITION BY THE TOWN TO BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE
PROPERTY AS A LIEN COLLECTIBLE IN THE SAME MANNER AS REAL ESTATE
TAXES
WHEREAS, the Town Council of Centreville is authorized by § 5-202 of the Local
Government Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland to adopt ordinances to protect the health,
comfort, and convenience of residents of the Town of Centreville; and
WHEREAS, the Town Council of Centreville is authorized by § 5-205(d)(2) of the Local
Government Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland to provide that any valid charge, tax, or
assessment made against real property in the municipality is a lien on the property to be collected in
the same manner as municipal taxes; and
WHEREAS, Section 301.B.33 of the Charter of the Town of Centreville authorizes the Town
Council to provide that any valid charges, taxes, or assessments made against any real property within
the Town shall be liens upon the property, to be collected as municipal taxes are collected; and
WHEREAS, the Town Council believes that it is in the best interests of the citizens of
Centreville to amend Chapter 31 of the Town Code to provide that the costs for repair, vacation, and/or
demolition of dangerous buildings is a lien against the real property collectible in the same manner as
real estate taxes.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED by the Town Council of Centreville:
Section 1. Chapter 31 of the Town Code is hereby amended as follows:
31-6 Failure of Owner to Comply
A. If the owner, occupant, mortgagee, trustee, or lessee fails to comply with the order provided for
in § 31-5D within 10 days, the Town Council of Centreville may cause such building or
structure to be repaired, vacated, or demolished as the facts may warrant, under the standards
hereinbefore provided for in § 31-2 of this chapter. and shall bring suit in a court of competent
jurisdiction against the owner, occupant, mortgagee, trustee, or lessee of the dangerous building
to collect all reasonable costs associated with the repair, vacation or demolition of the
dangerous building performed by the Town or its agents. The Town Council of Centreville may
also, in cases where this procedure is desirable and any delay thereby caused will not be
dangerous to the health, safety or general welfare of the people of the Town of Centreville, the
Town Council may take such legal action as may be necessary in such court of competent
jurisdiction, to force the owner to make all necessary repairs or demolish the building.
B. In addition to any other penalties provided for herein, if the Town causes a dangerous
building to be repaired, vacated or demolished, it may assess the costs thereof as a lien
against the real property collectible in the same manner as real estate taxes.

C. The remedies provided herein shall not limit the ability of the Town to pursue other legal
remedies including filing a legal action in a court of competent jurisdiction to force the
owner to make all necessary repairs, vacate the property, and/or demolish the building.
(Language to be deleted from the existing Ordinance is indicated in strikethrough format and language
to added is indicated by bold italics underlined text)
Section 2. If any section, clause, paragraph, sentence or phrase of the Ordinance or the application
thereof to any person, property, or circumstance is held invalid or unconstitutional by a court of
competent jurisdiction, the invalidity or unconstitutionality shall in no way affect other provisions or
any other application of this Ordinance which can be given effect without the invalid or
unconstitutional provision or application, and for this purpose the provisions of this Ordinance are
declared severable.
Section 3. This Ordinance shall become effective twenty (20) days after its enactment.
ATTEST: THE TOWN COUNCIL OF CENTREVILLE
R. Gaye Adams Ashley Heffernan Kaiser, Esq., President
Town Clerk
First Reading: Jeffrey D. Kiel, Vice President
Second Reading:
Enacted:
Effective:
Daniel B. Worth, Member
Jim A. Beauchamp, Member
Sandra Lee Huffer, Member