[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Board of the Town of Lake George 7-22-1966. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Fire prevention and building construction — See Ch. 80.
This chapter shall be known as the "Unsafe Buildings and Collapsed Structures Ordinance of the Town of Lake George."
When, in the opinion of the official appointed by the Town Board of the Town of Lake George for the purposes of enforcing this chapter, any structure located therein shall be deemed to be unsafe or dangerous to the public, he shall make a formal inspection thereof and report in writing to the Town Board of the Town of Lake George his findings and recommendation in regard to its removal or repair.
Said Town Board shall thereafter consider said report and by resolution determine, if in its opinion the report so warrants, that said structure or building is unsafe and dangerous and order its removal or repair if the same can be safely repaired, and further order that a notice shall be given to the following persons or corporations and in the manner herein as provided.
The notice shall contain the following:
A. 
A description of the premises.
B. 
A statement of the particulars in which the building or structure is unsafe or dangerous.
C. 
An order requiring the same to be made safe and secure or removed.
D. 
That the securing or removal of the said buildings or structures shall commence within 30 days of the serving of the notice and shall be completed within 60 days thereafter.
E. 
That in the event of neglect or refusal of the persons and/or corporations served with the notice to comply with the same, a survey of the premises will be made by an inspector and architect to be named by the Town Board, and a practical builder, engineer or architect appointed by said persons or corporations so notified.
F. 
That in the event of the refusal or neglect of the persons or corporations so notified to appoint a surveyor, the two surveyors named by the Town Board shall make the survey and report.
G. 
That in the event that the buildings or other structures shall be reported unsafe or dangerous under such survey, an application will be made at a special term of the Supreme Court in the judicial district in which the property is located for an order determining the building or other structure to be a public nuisance and directing that it shall be repaired and secured or taken down and removed.
H. 
That the land on which said buildings or structures are located will be assessed for all costs and expenses incurred by the Town in connection with the proceedings to remove or secure, including the cost of actually removing said building or structure.
Said notice shall be served in the following manner:
A. 
By personal service of a copy thereof upon the owner or some one of the owners, executors, legal representatives, agents, lessees or any other person having a vested or continued interest in the premises as shown by the last preceding completed assessment roll of said Town; or if no such person can be reasonably found, by mailing such owner by registered mail a copy of such notice directed to his last known address; and
B. 
By personal service of a copy of such notice upon any adult person residing in or occupying said premises; or if no such person can be reasonably found, by securely affixing a copy of such notice upon the building or structure.
A. 
In the event of the neglect or refusal of the persons so notified to comply with said order of the Town Board, a survey of said premises shall be made in the following manner:
(1) 
The Town Board shall appoint an inspector and architect, and the persons so notified shall appoint a practical builder, engineer or architect who shall make said survey and submit a written report thereon in regard to the unsafe or dangerous condition of said building or structure.
(2) 
If the persons so notified shall refuse or neglect to appoint a surveyor within 30 days after service of the notice, the two surveyors appointed by the Town Board shall proceed and report.
B. 
A signed copy of such report shall be posted on said structure.
In the event that the building or other structure shall be reported unsafe or dangerous under such survey, the Town Board may pass a resolution directing the Supervisor of the Town to make an application at a special term of the Supreme Court of the State of New York in the judicial district in which the property is located, for an order determining the building or other structure to be a public nuisance and directing that it shall be repaired and secured or taken down and removed.
All costs and expenses incurred by the Town in connection with the proceedings to remove or secure, including the cost of actually removing said building or structure, shall be assessed against the land on which said buildings or structures are located.
Said surveyors shall be paid reasonable compensation for the service performed by them in making their survey and in preparing the report thereof.
[Added 7-11-1994 by L.L. No. 1-1994]
Any violation of this chapter shall be punishable, for each violation, by a fine of not more than $250 or imprisonment for not more than 15 days, or both.