ord-09-2025-dangerous-buildings.pdf

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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