The provisions of this Article shall govern
the administration and enforcement procedures of the Sussex County
Housing Code. Any municipality that adopts the code as its own may
use these administrative and enforcement procedures as its own or
may develop procedures which are similar in nature.
No officer or employee who has an official duty in connection with the administration and enforcement of this chapter shall be financially interested in the furnishing of labor, materials or appliances for the construction, alteration or maintenance of a building or in making the plans or specifications therefor, unless that person is the owner of such building. No such officer or employee shall engage in any activity which is inconsistent with the public interest and the officer's official duties. Any member of a Board of Appeals, as established under §
71-31 of this article, who has a similar conflicting interest in the subject matter on appeal shall not participate in the voting; however, solely because that members vote is counted will not make the decision void or voidable if the Board of Appeals, with or without knowledge of the material facts as to that members interest, decided in good faith by a sufficient vote not counting the vote of the interested Board of Appeals member.
The Code Official shall keep or cause to be
kept records concerning the enforcement of this chapter, provisions,
which records shall be open to public inspection.
There is hereby created a tax lien on real property
for moneys expended by the County or a community for razing, demolition,
removal or repairs of buildings or abatement of other unsafe conditions
constituting a threat to the public health and safety where the responsible
party refuses or fails to comply with the lawful order of the Code
Official after due notice thereof, either actual or constructive.
Upon certification of a tax lien to the appropriate County or community
official by the Code Official, the amount of such lien shall be recorded
and collected in the same manner as other County real estate taxes
and paid to the County or community, when collected, by the appropriate
County government.
This chapter shall not affect violations of
any other ordinance, code or regulation of the County of Sussex or
a municipality existing prior to the effective date hereof, and any
such violation shall be governed and shall continue to be enforced
to the full extent of the law under the provisions of such ordinances,
codes or regulations in effect at the time the violation was committed.