Albemarle County, VA Property Maintenance: Property Blight (2026)

County Code § 5-300 authorizes two abatement tracks for a dangerous building, wall, or other structure in Albemarle County outside Charlottesville and Scottsville. First, the Board of Supervisors can require the owner to remove, repair, or secure a structure it determines endangers public health or safety, communicated through a written notice mailed certified or registered, identifying each dangerous condition, the required corrective measures, and a reasonable compliance deadline. Second, if the owner and any lienholder fail to act after reasonable notice, the County itself, through its agents or employees, may remove, repair, or secure the structure.

That county-initiated track requires a written notice mailed to the owner's last known address and published once a week for two successive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation; the County cannot act for at least 30 days after the later of the certified-mail receipt or the last publication, except it may act within seven days to prevent unauthorized access if the notice states the structure poses a significant threat to public safety. Section 5-301 lets the County recover its removal, repair, or securing costs from the property owner, collectible as taxes are collected, and any unpaid charge becomes a lien on the property ranking on parity with unpaid real estate tax liens.

The County may waive a lien to facilitate a sale to an unrelated purchaser, though the lien remains the original owner's personal obligation. Section 5-303 additionally lets the Building Official authorize emergency repairs when a structure is in immediate danger of collapse or poses a serious, imminent Building Code threat to occupants or the public, chargeable to the owner the same way.