Abilene, TX Property Maintenance: Property Blight (2026)

Sec. , Local Government Code Chs. 54 and 214 to keep existing residential and nonresidential structures fit for occupancy regardless of when they were built. Sec. 8-554 lists thirteen categories of conditions that can make a building substandard and condemned, including inadequate sanitation such as missing hot water or a required kitchen sink, structural hazards like deteriorated foundations or sagging roof members, vermin infestation, faulty weather protection, and fire hazards identified by the Fire Marshal. The Building Official, defined in Sec. 8-552, can inspect any structure without prior notice under Sec.

8-553, applying for an administrative search warrant if entry is refused, and may order a building demolished immediately under Sec. 8-553(f) if it is so damaged it is likely to fall. For less urgent cases, Sec. 8-558 requires a written notice of violation identifying the substandard conditions, and the owner has thirty days to submit a written correction plan; occupancy is prohibited until the corrective measures are completed. An owner has ten calendar days to appeal the Building Official's decision to the Board of Building Standards under Sec.

8-559, after which the Board can order repair, securing, or demolition under Secs. 8-563 and 8-564, generally giving thirty days to complete the work, extendable to ninety days with a compliance agreement under Sec. 8-565. Costs the City incurs securing or demolishing a condemned property become a lien against it under Sec. 8-557(b), accruing interest at ten percent a year. An aggrieved owner can seek judicial review in Taylor or Jones County District Court within thirty days of the Board's order under Sec. 8-569.