Calvert County, MD Property Maintenance: Property Blight (2026)
Key Facts
- Trigger
- structure unsafe or unfit for occupancy
- Order type
- condemnation, placarding and vacate order
- Abatement method
- repair, rehabilitation or demolition
- Lien remedy
- county may close structure, lien the cost
- Reoccupancy
- requires Code Official's approval
- Base fine
- $500 per violation, per day
Summary
Calvert County's Minimum Livability Code lets the Code Official condemn any structure found 'unsafe or unfit for human occupancy,' placard it and order it vacated. Buildings that are unsanitary, fire hazards or dangerously dilapidated are declared illegal outright and must be repaired, rehabilitated or demolished under the Standard Building Code for the Elimination or Repair of Unsafe Buildings.
General: When a structure or part thereof is found by the Code Official to be unsafe or unfit for human occupancy or use, and all other remedies provided for in § 75-5D of this code prove to be impractical, the Code Official may condemn the structure or part thereof and may order the structure or part thereof to be placarded and vacated pursuant to the provisions of this code. ... Unsafe buildings: All buildings or structures which are unsafe, unsanitary or not provided with adequate egress, or which constitute a fire hazard, or are otherwise dangerous to human life, or which in relation to existing use constitute a hazard to safety or health by reason of inadequate maintenance, dilapidation, obsolescence or abandonment, are severally in contemplation of this section, unsafe buildings. All such unsafe buildings are hereby declared illegal and shall be abated by repair and rehabilitation or by demolition in accordance with the provisions of the Standard Building Code for the Elimination or Repair of Unsafe Buildings and § 75-5D of this code.
Full Breakdown
' Unsafe equipment, including boilers, elevators, wiring and flammable-liquid containers found to be 'a hazard to life, health, property or safety,' can be condemned and placed out of service alongside the structure (§ 75-6D). A structure counts as unfit for occupancy when the Code Official finds it 'unsanitary, vermin or rodent infested, contains filth or contamination or lacks ventilation, illumination, sanitary or heating facilities' (§ 75-6E). Before condemning, the Code Official must give prior notice of intent to placard and vacate, served in person by the Calvert County Sheriff's Office or by certified mail (§ 75-7A, B).
Once a condemnation placard is up, the property cannot be reoccupied without the Code Official's approval, and removing or defacing the placard without approval is itself a violation (§ 75-7G). If an owner fails to close a vacated structure in the ordered time, the Code Official may have it closed through a public agency or private contractor and bill the cost as a lien against the real estate (§ 75-6F).
Violations & Fines
Anyone who defaces or removes a condemnation placard without the Code Official's approval, sells or leases condemned property without disclosing the compliance order, or reoccupies a placarded structure without approval violates Chapter 75. Enforcement runs through a $500 civil citation per violation, escalating to double the fine after 15 days and District Court adjudication after 35 days, under § 75-8's civil penalty schedule.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes a building 'unsafe' under Calvert County's code?
Can I sell a property after Calvert County issues a compliance order?
Who removes a condemnation placard once repairs are done?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Calvert County
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