Surry County, NC Code Violation Reporting: Response Times (2026)

Once a complaint is logged under § 92.20(A), § 92.20(B) puts the Department's Director on a clock: the Director must assign an Ordinance Enforcement Officer, and that officer's investigation 'shall begin within 96 hours of receipt of the complaint.' The investigation produces a written report that documents the conditions, includes photographs if relevant, and recommends whether the county should pursue further action. If the recommendation is 'no action,' § 92.20(C) requires the Department to close the file and send the complainant written notice of that outcome, so the 96-hour clock is tied to a documented result either way.

If the officer instead recommends further action, § 92.20(D) requires the Director to schedule an on-site meeting with the officer to review the conditions before reporting a recommendation to the County Manager, and only after the County Manager concurs does the formal notice-and-order process of § 92.20(E) begin, giving the owner up to 30 days (or less, if imminent danger requires) to remove, abate or remedy the nuisance. Nothing in the ordinance sets a hard deadline for how long the on-site review or County Manager sign-off can take, but the initial 96-hour investigation start is the only response-time figure the ordinance sets in fixed hours.