Property Maintenance Code in Sussex County, DE, amended to address vacant, foreclosed property issues

Sussex County, DE: County Council approved amendments to the property maintenance code.

 

The changes will allow Council to first interact with property owners that have code violations, rather than first sending the situation to court.

 

The change from civil enforcement to administrative enforcement will allow Council to act more rapidly and more options to work with property owners that are communicating and are working to remedy violations, rather than immediately sending cases for criminal proceedings.

 

A fee of $100 per violation can be levied by the Council for failure by a property owner to remedy a violation, with additional fines and actions available due to lack of owner communication or action; an appeal process would be available for the fines, within 10 days of being issued, if the owners are communicating with the Council.

 

 

 

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