Caddo Parish, LA Property Maintenance: Property Blight (2026)
Key Facts
- Enforcing body
- Property standards board (parish commission)
- Notice period
- 10 days' written notice before hearing
- Emergency notice
- 24 hours in public-emergency cases
- Appeal window
- 5 days to First Judicial District Court
- Lien surcharge
- 15% administrative charge added to costs
- Applies only to
- Unincorporated Caddo Parish, not Shreveport
Summary
In Caddo Parish's unincorporated area, the property standards board (the full parish commission) can condemn a building that has become a public-health, safety or welfare threat through dilapidation, obsolescence, fire hazard or abandonment, and order it demolished, removed or sealed under Code of Ordinances Article II. Owners get a hearing first, and the parish can place a lien on the property to recover its costs.
The property standards board may condemn, and cause to be demolished, removed or sealed, any building or structure within the unincorporated areas of the parish when it is in a condition which endangers the public health, safety or welfare as a result of dilapidation, obsolescence, fire hazard or abandonment.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 26 | Unified Development Code: Supplement 2).
Full Breakdown
The parish's dangerous-building rules, adopted by Ordinance No. 2874 in 1992 and codified at Code of Ordinances §§ 30-19 through 30-31, apply only to the unincorporated areas of Caddo Parish; sites contaminated with hazardous materials or industrial waste are referred instead to the EPA and the state Department of Environmental Quality. Section 30-21 makes it a violation for an owner to allow a structure to remain a threat to health, safety or welfare through dilapidation, obsolescence, fire hazard or abandonment, with each day the condition continues counted as a separate offense.
Before the property standards board can condemn a building under § 30-23, § 30-25 requires a written report from the director of public works or the parish health unit's chief sanitarian, then at least ten days' written notice to the owner of a show-cause hearing; in a public emergency posing immediate risk to life or property, the board can act on 24 hours' notice, and demolition cannot start until the 48-hour appeal window in § 30-27 runs. Under § 30-26 the board may instead let the owner repair or seal the structure to HUD sealing standards.
An owner who disagrees can appeal to the First Judicial District Court within five days of the order (§ 30-27), which suspends demolition pending trial de novo. If the owner does not comply or timely appeal, § 30-28 authorizes the parish to demolish, remove, repair or seal the structure itself, and § 30-29 gives the parish a lien and privilege against the property for all demolition, removal, repair, sealing, maintenance and inspection costs plus a 15 percent administrative charge, enforceable in court or added to the property's tax bill.
Violations & Fines
Allowing a condemnable structure to stand is a continuing violation under § 30-21, with each day a separate offense. Failing to comply with a board demolition, repair or sealing order, or failing to file a timely appeal, violates § 30-28 and lets the parish do the work itself and bill the owner. Costs, attorney and inspection fees, a 15 percent administrative surcharge, and legal interest attach as a lien under § 30-29, collectible like a delinquent property tax.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who decides whether my building gets condemned in Caddo Parish?
How much notice do I get before a hearing on my building?
Can I appeal a condemnation order?
Does this apply if I live inside Shreveport, Vivian or another town?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Caddo Parish
Compare Caddo Parish to another location·View the Louisiana property maintenance overview
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