La Grange, MO Code Violation Reporting: How to Report (2026)
Key Facts
- Who can report
- any adult citizen of La Grange
- Reportable conditions
- Chapter 565 dangerous-building defects
- Investigating official
- Building Inspector
- Notice after complaint
- written, up to 30 days to comply
- Escalation path
- Mayor as Building Commissioner, § 565.040
Summary
In the City of La Grange, City Code § 565.030(A)(1) puts the trigger for a dangerous-building inspection in residents' hands: the Building Inspector checks public buildings, commercial buildings and dwellings for the defects in Chapter 565 only upon complaint of any adult citizen of the City of La Grange.
1. Inspect or cause to be inspected all public buildings, schools, halls, churches, commercial, manufacturing or loft buildings and all dwellings for the purpose of determining whether any conditions exist which render such places to be dangerous buildings within the terms of this Chapter, only upon complaint of any adult citizen of the City of LaGrange.
Full Breakdown
Section 565.030, part of the Dangerous and Unsafe Buildings chapter adopted in 1979 and amended by Ordinance No. 387 in 1997, spells out how a blight complaint reaches enforcement. Subsection (A)(1) limits the Building Inspector's authority to inspect public buildings, schools, halls, churches, and commercial, manufacturing or loft buildings, plus all dwellings, to situations triggered by the complaint of any adult citizen of the City of La Grange; there is no separate proactive sweep for those categories. Subsection (A)(2) broadens the trigger for any building, wall or structure: the Inspector must investigate when any person files a complaint that it may be violating Chapter 565.
Subsection (A)(3) adds a third path, letting the Inspector act on a building reported as probably in violation, even short of a formal complaint. Once the Inspector confirms a defect from Section 565.010's list, Subsection (A)(4) requires written notice by personal service, certified mail, or two weeks of newspaper publication if the interested parties cannot otherwise be found, drawing on the ownership record kept by the Lewis County Recorder of Deeds. The notice must state that the structure is a nuisance, and Subsection (A)(5) requires it to set a compliance deadline of no more than 30 days.
If the owner ignores the notice, Subsection (A)(6) requires the Inspector to report the non-compliance in writing to the Mayor, who as Building Commissioner then calls the hearing described in Section 565.040. A report can be made to the City Clerk or directly to the Building Inspector; the Code does not specify a phone number or online form, only that the complainant be an adult citizen of the City.
Violations & Fines
A complaint that leads to a confirmed dangerous and unsafe building finding sets Chapter 565's enforcement chain in motion: written notice under Section 565.030(A)(4)-(5), then a Building Commissioner hearing under Section 565.040 if the owner does not act within 30 days. An owner who then ignores a final order is guilty of an ordinance violation under Section 565.080, fined up to $1,000, or up to $2,000 if not a resident owner, with each day of continued non-compliance a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can report a dangerous building in La Grange?
How do I report a building I think is unsafe?
What happens after I report a dangerous building?
Does the City act on a report even without a full inspection complaint?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in La Grange
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