Blighted and dangerous buildings are handled under MGL c.139 §1, which lets a community, after written notice and a hearing, declare a burnt, dilapidated, or dangerous structure a nuisance and order it repaired or removed. The abolished county has no role.
Property blight is a municipal matter grounded in state law, not county ordinance; Hampshire County government ended in 1999. Under MGL c.139 §1, the board or officer in Northampton, Amherst, Easthampton, South Hadley, Belchertown, or Ware may, after written notice to the owner and a hearing, make and record an order adjudging a burnt, dilapidated, or dangerous building to be a nuisance. The community can then order the owner to remove or make it safe, and act itself if the owner does not. Boards of health add parallel authority over unsanitary conditions such as trash accumulation and vermin harborage under MGL c.111 §31, and the State Sanitary Code (105 CMR 410) sets minimum housing standards for rentals.
An owner who ignores a c.139 §1 nuisance order can have the community demolish or secure the structure and lien the cost against the property, plus separate sanitary code fines up to $500 per day.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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See how Belchertown's property blight rules stack up against other locations.
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