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Council approves faster boarding, lien process for dangerous vacant structures
Summary
The council approved an ordinance authorizing property maintenance staff to secure dangerous open structures without a hearing and immediately file a lien for costs plus fees and 10% interest; council debated the notice period before unanimously approving the ordinance 6-0.
Greenville City Council on Monday approved an ordinance to give property maintenance staff a faster pathway to secure dangerous, open buildings and to file liens to recover the city's costs.
City attorney Daniel (speaker 7) told the council: "If you approve this ordinance as written, what it would do would be to give a new power or a pathway to use an existing power to the code enforcement office." He explained the change would allow staff, after posting notice at a property and sending certified mail, to board doors and windows without a separate hearing and to immediately file a lien for the cost of boarding plus filing fees and 10% interest.
Councilmembers pressed staff on the notice timeline. Daniel noted the draft sets a 30‑day period for owners to act but said the council could shorten that window and suggested not going below 10 days. One member recommended leaving the 30‑day period as written to avoid later legal challenges. After discussion, Councilmember (speaker 4) moved to adopt the ordinance. The motion passed 6-0 (mister Cruz absent).
