Ashwaubenon, WI Property Maintenance: Property Blight (2026)

Section 11-1-23(M), part of the Affecting Peace and Safety nuisance list in Chapter 11, targets blighted buildings and premises directly. It finds a premises blighted when it suffers from faulty design or construction, failure to maintain them in a proper state of repair, improper management, or due to the accumulation thereon of junk or other unsightly debris, structurally unsound fences, and other items which depreciate property values and jeopardize or are detrimental to the health, safety, morals or welfare of the people of the village.

The Village's findings go further, stating that blighted premises can necessitate excessive and disproportionate expenditure of public funds for public health, public safety, crime prevention, fire protection and other public services, and directing that the article be liberally construed to accomplish the purposes of this Section, language aimed at giving inspectors broad room to act on marginal cases. This sits alongside Section 11-1-23(H), which separately declares dilapidated buildings, so old, dilapidated or out of repair as to be dangerous, unsafe, unsanitary or otherwise unfit for human use or habitation, a nuisance, so a badly deteriorated structure can be cited under either or both provisions.

Enforcement runs through Section 11-1-24. The chief of public safety, village forester, building inspector or health officer, or a designee, must inspect the property and confirm the blight before acting. Where the condition threatens great and immediate danger, the village president can order summary abatement and bill the owner directly; otherwise, Section 11-1-24(C) requires written notice giving the owner ten days to correct the condition before the Village removes or repairs it itself.