Richmond Unsafe Building Commission affirms cleanup liens, approves contract outreach for two properties

The Richmond City Unsafe Building Commission voted Tuesday to affirm administrative-lien charges for multiple properties the city said had been cleaned and secured and approved moving forward to seek contract awards for two other properties.

Commissioners approved motions to pursue contract awards based on bids received for 108 North Seventeenth Street and 1030 South Eighth Street. They also voted to apply administrative lien costs for cleanups at properties at 30 North Fifteenth Street, 813–815 South Eighth Street, and 201 North Twelfth Street.

Why it matters: The actions formalize recovery of city costs for emergency or nuisance cleanups and authorize the city to proceed with contractor selection for outstanding bid-based remediation. For property owners, affirmation of liens typically becomes a claim on the tax record until paid or otherwise resolved.

At Tuesday’s meeting the Commission opened public hearings on the bids received for 108 North Seventeenth Street and 1030 South Eighth Street, invited public comment, and—after hearing none—passed motions to move forward ‘‘with seeking the contract to award’’ for each site.

Separately, code-enforcement staff presented evidence and photos documenting conditions that prompted emergency cleanup and sealing at three properties. For 30 North Fifteenth Street, staff described extended vacancy, broken windows, interior trash and debris and repeated police and fire responses; an invoice from a contractor for cleanup was mentioned but the total recovery amount was not specified in the hearing record.

For 813 and 815 South Eighth Street, staff said the structure had been occupied by people living in deplorable conditions and that police had withdrawn from the upstairs for safety reasons. The Commission record lists a cleanup cost of $2,068.86 plus administrative fees, for a total shown in the package of $3,808.86; the Commission moved to affirm and apply that administrative lien to the property.

For 201 North Twelfth Street, staff described an out-of-state owner and repeated nuisance conditions including standing water, animal feces in the basement and signs of drug use; the record attached an invoice for cleanup of $2,645.08 and an administrative fee for a total of $4,385.08. The Commission moved to affirm and apply that lien.

During the motions, votes were called with the standard ‘‘all in favor say aye’’ and the chair announced the motions carried. The record does not include a roll-call vote count or individual commissioners’ votes.

The Commission’s actions cite Richmond resolution number 1-2025 as authority to collect cleanup and administrative costs.

Looking ahead: The approved motions authorize staff to pursue contract awards for the two bid properties and to record liens for the affirmed cleanup costs. Property owners retain any statutory appeal rights provided by state law or by the city’s procedures.