[1960 Code § 8.54.050; Ord. 2012-742, 3-19-2012; Ord. 2013-788, 9-16-2013; amended Ord. 2014-817, 8-18-2014]
The term "dangerous building" as used in this chapter, is hereby defined to mean and include:
(A) 
Any building, shed, fence or other manmade structure which is dangerous to the public health because of its construction, unsanitary condition, or infestation with cockroaches, rats or other vermin, any of which may cause or aid in the spread of disease or cause injury to the health of the occupants of it or of neighboring structures;
(B) 
Any building, shed, fence or other manmade structure which, because of faulty construction, age, lack of proper repair or any other cause, is especially liable to fire, and constitutes or creates a fire hazard;
(C) 
Any building, shed, fence or other manmade structure which, because of faulty construction, age, lack of proper repair or any other cause, is liable to cause injury or damage by collapsing or by a collapse or fall of any part of such a structure;
(D) 
Any building, shed, fence or other manmade structure which, because of its condition or because of lack of doors or windows is available to and frequented by malefactors or disorderly persons who are not lawful occupants of such structure;
(E) 
Any building or structure in a state of dilapidation or decay, vacant, abandoned, boarded for a period of time in excess of six months and damaged by fire to the extent as not to provide shelter;
(F) 
Any building or structure determined under any law or ordinance to be unfit for human habitation whether by unsanitary conditions or from which the required plumbing, heating and lighting facilities have been removed, or from which utilities, i.e., water, gas, electric, have been disconnected, destroyed, removed or rendered ineffective.
[1960 Code § 8.54.050; Ord. 2012-742, 3-19-2012; amended Ord. 2013-778, 5-20-2013; Ord. 2014-817, 8-18-2014]
If any building shall be found in a dangerous and unsafe condition or uncompleted and abandoned, the Mayor or any official or employee designated by the City Council shall notify in writing the owner or owners thereof, directing said owner or owners to put such building in a safe condition or to demolish it. Where, upon diligent search, the identity or whereabouts of the owner or owners of any such building shall not be ascertainable, such notice shall be mailed to the person or persons in whose name such real estate was last assessed.
If, after 30 days subsequent to the giving of such notice, said owner or owners fail to put such building in a safe condition or to demolish it, the Mayor or any official or employee designated by the City Council shall so notify the City Council requesting the City Council to direct the City Attorney to apply on behalf of the City to the circuit court of Logan County for an order authorizing the City to demolish, repair or enclose, or to cause the demolition, repair or enclosure of said building.
The cost of such demolition, repair or enclosure shall be recoverable from the owner or owners of such real estate, and shall be a lien thereon as provided in Section 11-31-1 of the Illinois municipal code, as amended, providing that within 60 days after said cost and expense is incurred the City or the person performing the service by authority of the City, shall file notice of lien as provided in said section of the Illinois municipal code as amended.
Any unsafe, dilapidated and abandoned building, house, barn or other structure situated within the limits of the City is, and the same is hereby declared to be, a nuisance. The penalty for maintaining such a nuisance after receipt of written notice from the Mayor or any official or employee designated by the City Council declaring the structure to be a nuisance shall be a fine of not less than $75 nor more than $750 and each and every day that such building, house, barn or other structure shall remain in such unsafe, dilapidated and abandoned condition shall constitute a new and separate offense.
Administrative fee for owning and maintaining a dangerous building shall be as follows:
(A) 
Any person who owns a structure deemed a dangerous building under this Code and who fails to bring the structure into compliance with this Code within one year of the order to abate shall be assessed a fee of $500.
(B) 
If the same property in Subsection (A) of this section is not in compliance with this Code within 18 months of the order to abate, the owner shall be fined an additional $750 for the second year and $2,000 for each additional year thereafter in which that structure is not in compliance with this Code.
(C) 
If the same structure in Subsection (A) of this section is not in compliance with this Code within two years of the order to abate, the owner shall be fined an additional $2,000 for the second year and $2,000 for each additional year thereafter in which that structure is not in compliance with this Code.
(D) 
Any person who already owns a structure deemed a dangerous building under this Code and who has a second structure deemed a dangerous building shall be assessed an additional $2,000 for each year the second structure remains on the dangerous building list. The fine shall be $2,000 per year even if the first structure is taken off the dangerous building list.
(E) 
Any person who owns two structures deemed dangerous buildings under this Code and who has a third or more structures deemed dangerous buildings shall be assessed a fine of $5,000 per structure for every year they remain on the dangerous building list. The fine shall be $5,000 per structure per year even if the first and second structures are removed from the dangerous building list.
The administrative fees authorized by this section shall be a lien on any real estate owned by such person. In addition to filing a lien upon such real estate, the City shall have authority to collect such fee by filing a personal collection action against the owner in court.