Clarkstown, NY Property Maintenance: Property Blight (2026)

Chapter 111 of the Town Code addresses buildings that pose a threat to life and property because of fire damage, weather, age, or general deterioration, including vacant structures left open at doors and windows that attract minors under 18. Under § 111-3, the Building Inspector investigates any building that is dangerous, accessible to trespassers, infested with rodents, or otherwise unfit for lawful use, and reports findings and recommendations to the Town Board. The Town Board then reviews that report under § 111-4 and, if warranted, orders repair or demolition and removal.

The required notice under § 111-5 must describe the premises, state how the building is unsafe, specify how it is to be secured or removed, require that work commence within 30 days of service and finish within 60 days thereafter absent good cause, and set a hearing before the Town Board no less than five business days after service. The notice is filed with the Rockland County Clerk in the same manner as a notice of pendency and remains effective for one year. If the owner refuses or neglects to comply after the hearing, § 111-7 authorizes the Town Board to demolish and remove the building itself, by Town employees or contract, and § 111-8 assesses all resulting expenses, including demolition costs, against the land, collected the same way as a special ad valorem levy.

In a clear and imminent emergency, § 111-9 lets the Town Board authorize the Building Inspector to immediately repair or demolish the structure without going through the full notice process, with those costs likewise charged against the land.