This bill amends the Code of West Virginia to empower municipalities to adopt ordinances that facilitate the recovery of costs associated with the demolition of unsafe or unsanitary structures through special tax assessments. It introduces provisions that allow municipalities to impose a special assessment against real property for reasonable costs incurred in the repair, alteration, improvement, removal, or demolition of buildings. Property owners must be notified of the assessment amount before it is imposed, and these assessments will be collected similarly to ad valorem real property taxes. The bill also enables municipalities to initiate civil actions in circuit court against landowners for corrective actions, including demolition, after providing notice via certified mail.

Additionally, the bill clarifies the procedures for serving notices of violation or correction orders related to building code violations, specifying that municipalities that have adopted the state building code must serve these notices according to that code, while those that have not must follow state law for civil process service. It allows for personal service by code enforcement officials and mandates conspicuous posting of notices on the property. The prosecution process for violations of municipal ordinances is also outlined, requiring complaints to be presented to a municipal judge or official, and it establishes procedures for handling cases of refused certified mail delivery. The bill aims to streamline the enforcement of municipal building codes and enhance municipalities' ability to recover demolition costs through special tax assessments.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 8-12-16