[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Board of the
Town of Blooming Grove 1-14-1985 by L.L. No. 1-1985 (Ch. 133 of the 1975 Code). Amendments
noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Fire prevention and building construction — See Ch. 128.
Unsafe buildings pose a threat to life and property
in the Town of Blooming Grove. Buildings and structures may become
unsafe by reason of damage by fire, the elements, age or general deterioration.
Vacant buildings not properly secured at doorways and windows also
serve as an attractive nuisance for young children who may be injured
therein, as well as a point of congregation by vagrants and transients.
A dilapidated building may also serve as a place of rodent infestation,
thereby creating a health menace to the community. Debris, rubble
or parts of buildings left on the ground and not removed constitute
a dangerous, unhealthy and unsightly condition. It is the purpose
of this chapter to provide for the safety, health, protection and
general welfare of persons and property in the Town of Blooming Grove
by requiring such unsafe buildings to be repaired or demolished or
removed.
As used in this chapter, the following terms
shall have the meanings indicated:
Any building, structure or portion thereof used for residential,
business, industrial, recreational or other purpose.
The Building Inspector of the Town of Blooming Grove and
his duly appointed assistants or deputies or such other person appointed
by the Town Board to enforce the provisions of this chapter.
Any debris, rubble, or parts of buildings which remain on
the ground or on the premises after demolition, reconstruction, fire
or other casualty.
Any building or structure or portion thereof which:
Has interior walls or other vertical structural
members which list, lean or buckle to such an extent that a plumb
line passing through the center of gravity falls outside of the middle
1/3 of its base.
Exclusive of the foundation, shows 33% or more
of damage to or deterioration of the supporting member or members
or 50% damage to or deterioration of the nonsupporting enclosing or
outside walls or covering.
Has improperly distributed loads upon the floors
or roofs or in which the same are overloaded or have insufficient
strength to be reasonably safe for the purpose used.
Has been damaged by fire, wind or other causes
so as to have become dangerous to life, safety, morals or the general
health and welfare of the occupants or the people of the Town of Blooming
Grove.
Has become or are so dilapidated, decayed, unsafe,
unsanitary or which so utterly fails to provide the amenities essential
to decent living that it is unfit for human habitation or are likely
to cause sickness or disease, so as to work injury to the health,
morals, safety or general welfare of those living therein.
Has light, air and sanitation facilities which
are inadequate to protect the health, morals, safety or general welfare
of human beings who live or may live therein.
Has inadequate facilities for egress in case
of fire or panic or insufficient stairways, elevators, fire escapes
or other means of communication.
Has parts thereof which are so attached that
they may fall and injure members of the public or property.
Because of its condition, is unsafe, unsanitary
or dangerous to the health, morals, safety or general welfare of the
people of the Town of Blooming Grove.
Is open at the doorways or windows or walls,
making it accessible to and an object of attraction to minors under
18 years of age, as well as to vagrants and other trespassers.
Is or may become a place of rodent infestation.
Consists of debris, rubble or parts of buildings
left on the ground after demolition, reconstruction, fire or other
casualty.
A.
It shall be unlawful for any owner, tenant or occupant of any building or structure or portion of any building or structure in the Town of Blooming Grove to maintain such building or structure or portion of such building or structure in any condition or manner which shall be unsafe as defined in § 96-2 of this chapter.
B.
Any owner, occupant or person in custody of real property located within the Town of Blooming Grove who allows or permits a building to continue as a dangerous building after due notice as provided in § 96-5 below shall be guilty of a violation of this chapter and shall be punished as provided in § 96-11 below.
When, in the opinion of the Building Inspector, any building or structure located in the Town of Blooming Grove shall be deemed to be dangerous or unsafe to the public as defined in § 96-2, the Building Inspector shall make a formal inspection thereof and report in writing to the Town Board his findings and recommendations in regard to the building's or structure's removal or repair.
The Town Board shall thereupon consider said
report, and, if it finds that such building or structure is dangerous
and unsafe to the public, it shall, by resolution, order its repair
if the same can be safely repaired, and, if not, its removal and demolition,
and shall further order that a hearing be held before the Town Board
at a time and place therein specified and on at least five days' notice
to the owner of the building or structure or persons having an interest
therein to determine whether said order to repair or remove shall
be affirmed or modified or vacated and, in the event of modification
or affirmance, to assess all costs and expenses incurred by the town
in the repair or removal of such building or structure against the
land on which said building or structure is located.
In addition to serving the notice as provided in § 96-5 above, the Town Board may, if it determines that the purposes of this chapter will be further effectuated, order that no person other than the owner or his agent shall enter upon the property and shall post on such property signs indicating no trespassing. When such a determination is made, notice of such fact shall be included in the notice referred to in § 96-5 above. Anyone found trespassing in violation of this section shall be liable for a fine not to exceed $50 for each offense.
The notice shall contain the following statements:
A.
The name of the owner or person in possession as appears
from the tax and deed records.
B.
A brief description of the premises and its location.
C.
A description of the building or structure which is
unsafe or dangerous and a statement of the particulars in which it
is unsafe or dangerous.
D.
An order requiring the same to be made safe and secure
or to be removed.
E.
That the securing or removal of said building or structure
shall commence within a specified number of days of the service of
the notice and shall be completed within a specified number of days
thereafter.
F.
The time and place of the hearing to be held before
the Town Board, at which hearing the owner or occupant shall have
the right to contest the order and findings of the Town Board.
G.
That in the event that such owner, occupant or other
person having an interest in said premises shall fail to contest such
order and fail to comply with the same, the Town Board will order
the repair or removal of such building by the town, and that the town
will assess all costs and expenses incurred in such removal against
the land on which such building or structure is located.
H.
That in any case where a building which is required
to be made safe and secure under this chapter is made safe by the
boarding up thereof, the material for such boarding shall be painted,
as near as practicable, the same color as the building.
I.
The failure to commence the necessary repairs, improvements
or demolition within the time specified in the notice will constitute
a violation of the law subjecting the violators to a fine not to exceed
$250 for each week of such violation.
A.
A copy of said notice shall be personally served upon
the owner or one of the owners, executors, legal representatives,
agents, lessees or other person having a vested interest in the premises
as shown on the town tax records or in the records in the Orange County
Clerk's Office.
B.
If no such person can be reasonably found for personal
service, then a copy of said notice shall be mailed to such person
by registered mail addressed to his last known address as shown on
said records and by personally serving a copy of said notice upon
any adult person residing in or occupying said premises or by securely
affixing a copy of said notice upon building or structure.
C.
A copy of said notice may be filed in the Orange County
Clerk's office, which notice shall be filed in the same manner as
a notice of pendency pursuant to Article 65 of the Civil Practice
Law and Rules and shall have the same effect as a notice of pendency
as therein provided. A notice so filed shall be effective for a period
of one year from the date of filing. It may be vacated upon an order
of a Judge or Justice of a court of record or upon the written consent
of the Town Attorney or Attorney for the town. The Orange County Clerk
shall mark such notice and any record or docket thereof as canceled
of record upon the presentation and filing of such consent or of a
certified copy of such order.
The Town Board shall conduct the public hearing
at the time and place specified in the notice to repair or demolish.
It may adjourn the hearing from time to time until all interested
parties are heard and until the hearing is completed. At the conclusion
of the hearing, the Town Board shall determine by resolution to revoke
the order to repair or remove, modify said order or continue and affirm
said order to direct the owner or other persons to complete the work
within the time specified in the order or such other time as shall
be determined by the Town Board.
A.
In the event of the refusal, failure or neglect of the owner or person
so notified to comply with said order of the Town Board within the
time specified in said order and after the public hearing, the Town
Board shall provide that such building or structure be made safe and
secure or removed and demolished by Town employees or by independent
contractors. Except in emergency cases as herein provided, all contracts
for repair or demolishing and removal of a building or structure shall
be subject to the Town's procurement policy or competitive bidding
pursuant to New York General Municipal Law.
[Amended 11-22-2016 by Ord. No. 11-2016]
B.
In the event of the refusal, failure or neglect of
the owner or person so notified to comply with said order of the Town
Board within the time specified in said order and after the public
hearing such owner or person shall be guilty of a violation under
the penal law.
Except as provided in § 96-6 above, any person found guilty of violating this chapter shall be liable for a fine not to exceed $250 for each violation. Each week such violation shall continue shall constitute a separate violation.
All expenses incurred by the town in connection
with the proceedings to repair and secure or demolish and remove the
unsafe building, including the cost of actually removing such building,
and attorney's fees, shall be assessed against the land on which such
building is located and shall be levied and collected in the same
manner as provided for the levy and collection of real property taxes.
Where it reasonably appears that there is present a clear and imminent danger to the life, safety or health of any person or property unless an unsafe building or structure is immediately repaired and secured or demolished, the Town Board may, by resolution, authorize the Building Inspector to immediately cause the repair or demolition of such unsafe building or structure. The expenses of such repair or demolition shall be a charge against the land on which it is located and shall be assessed, levied and collected as provided in § 96-10 hereof.
The Town Board, in its discretion, may elect
to apply to the Supreme Court of the State of New York for an order
directing that the building be repaired and secured or demolished
and removed.
The Town Board may commence a special proceeding
pursuant to § 78-b of the General Municipal Law to collect
the costs of demolition, including reasonable and necessary legal
expenses.
