A condemned property or a condemned building is a property or building that local (usually municipal) authorities have closed, seized, or placed restrictions on for various reasons, including public safety and
public health
Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals". Analyzing the de ...
, in accordance with
local ordinance
A local ordinance is a law issued by a local government such as a municipality, county, parish, prefecture, or the like.
Hong Kong
In Hong Kong, all laws enacted by the territory's Legislative Council remain to be known as ''Ordinances'' () ...
.
Characteristics
In most cities, condemned properties are usually buildings that are extremely dilapidated, damaged or deteriorated, so that they are likely to collapse or become an unattractive nuisance or
urban blight
Urban decay (also known as urban rot, urban death or urban blight) is the sociological process by which a previously functioning city, or part of a city, falls into disrepair and decrepitude. There is no single process that leads to urban decay. ...
. Such buildings may also be fire hazards or severe health hazards, and may be infested with rodents or vermin and lacking in basic facilities such as water, electricity, and heat.
Sometimes, such properties can be associated with illegal drug activity.
They are typically in violation of other code requirements that make it dangerous to occupants or the public.
Food storage premises within the municipality that are deemed non-rat-proof have also historically been candidates for condemnation.
In conjunction with condemnation, local authorities may prohibit or restrict occupancy, prohibit habitation, seize the property, prohibit certain actions such as preparation of food or transaction of business, mandate remedial actions, or
raze
Raze may refer to:
* Demolition
**Slighting
* Raze, Haute-Saône, a town in France
* Raze (Underworld), a fictional character in the Underworld films
* Raze (magazine), a videogame magazine published by Newsfield Publications from 1990-1991
* ''Ra ...
the structure.
History
Municipalities of
Cumberland, Maryland
Cumberland is a city in Allegany County, Maryland, United States, and its county seat. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 19,075. Located on the Potomac River, Cumberland is a regional business and comm ...
, were given the power to condemn and seize insanitary buildings in 1915.
In 2000, a Swedish researcher reports a case study in which after many years of puzzlement and contention, a building that housed government employees was condemned for
sick building syndrome
Sick building syndrome (SBS) is a condition in which people develop symptoms of illness or become infected with chronic disease from the building in which they work or reside. In scientific literature, SBS is also known as building-related illn ...
; that is, something indeterminate about the building itself made the occupants ill.
See also
*
Board of Condemnation
References
{{reflist
Legal doctrines and principles
Public health
Public safety