Craighead County, AR Property Maintenance: Property Blight (2026)

02 of the Craighead County Code bars anyone with supervision or control of property in unincorporated Craighead County, whether an owner, occupant, agent, lessee, or mortgagee in possession, from letting the property fall into an unsanitary condition. Among the specifically listed unsanitary conditions is any building or other structure kept in such an unsanitary condition that it is a menace to the health and safety of people residing in the vicinity, or presents a more than ordinary health hazard. Before enforcement, the Illegal Dumps Control Officer, Sheriff, or another law enforcement agent must give written notice of the alleged violation, state the reasons for it, provide a copy of the ordinance, and allow 30 days to correct the condition.

A property owner who disagrees with the notice can file a sworn affidavit with the Illegal Dumps Control Officer or Sheriff within 15 days of the citation. If the deadline passes without voluntary correction, the county can move to abatement: an agent designated by the County Judge may enter and abate the unsanitary building condition directly, then bill the responsible party for the full cost of that work, plus interest at the maximum legal rate, with the county entitled to recover its attorney's fees and title search costs in a successful lien-enforcement suit. Agricultural property being actively farmed is exempt from the ordinance to the extent it follows approved agricultural procedures.