De Pere, WI Property Maintenance: Property Blight (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- City Code § 94-16
- Who orders condemnation
- City building inspector
- Grounds
- Dilapidated, unsanitary, unsafe or vermin-infested condition
- Owner's obligation
- Repair or vacate within a reasonable time
- Procedure statute
- Wis. Stat. § 66.0413
- Default penalty
- $1.00 to $2,000.00 forfeiture (§ 1-11)
Summary
Under City Code section 94-16, De Pere's building inspector can condemn any building, dwelling or dwelling unit so old, damaged, decayed, dilapidated, unsanitary or unsafe that it endangers the owner, occupants or public, ordering the property repaired or vacated within a reasonable time set by the inspector.
(a)Findings of inspector. Any building, structure, dwelling or dwelling unit which the inspector finds to have any of the following defects may be condemned as unfit for human habitation, occupancy or use:(1)One which is so old and so damaged, out of repair, decayed, dilapidated, unsanitary, difficult to heat, unsafe, or vermin infested or otherwise unfit for human habitation that it creates a hazard to the health or welfare of the owner or of the occupants or of the public; ... (b)Vacation by inhabitants. Any building, dwelling or dwelling unit condemned as unfit for human habitation and use and so designated shall be repaired or vacated within a reasonable time as ordered by the inspector.(c)Condemnation procedures. This condemnation of dwellings and dwelling units as unfit for human habitation, occupancy or use, shall be carried out according to the provisions of Wis. Stats. § 66.0413.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 9).
Full Breakdown
Section 94-16(a) lets the inspector condemn a building, structure, dwelling or dwelling unit as unfit for human habitation, occupancy or use on any of three findings: the structure is so old, damaged, decayed, dilapidated, unsanitary, difficult to heat, unsafe or vermin-infested that it creates a hazard to the owner, occupants or public; it lacks illumination, ventilation or sanitary facilities adequate to protect health; or its general condition or location makes it unsanitary or otherwise dangerous. A structure can also be condemned solely because the owner or occupant failed to comply with an inspector's earlier order under this section.
Once condemned, subsection (b) requires the owner to repair or vacate the building within a reasonable time set by the inspector; the code fixes no uniform deadline, leaving the timeframe to the specific hazard. Subsection (c) routes the actual condemnation procedure to Wisconsin Statutes section 66.0413, the state razing-and-condemnation statute, so an owner who disputes an order can expect that state law's hearing and appeal mechanics to apply on top of the local finding.
The chapter also reaches conditions short of full condemnation: section 94-17 separately requires every non-dwelling structure and fence to be maintained so it will not harbor rats, with exterior wood surfaces kept painted or otherwise protected from decay, or removed if they cannot be maintained. Chapter 78's general nuisance definition independently lists any building 'so old, dilapidated or out of repair as to be dangerous, unsafe, unsanitary or otherwise unfit for human use' as a public nuisance, giving the city a second, overlapping abatement route for the same blighted property. Because chapter 94 fixes no separate fine, ignoring an inspector's repair-or-vacate order falls back on the citywide forfeiture in section 1-11: $1.00 to $2,000.00 per offense, rising to a $10.00 floor for repeat violations, with each day of noncompliance a separate offense.
Violations & Fines
Ignoring a section 94-16 condemnation order exposes an owner to the citywide forfeiture in section 1-11: $1.00 to $2,000.00 for a first offense and $10.00 to $2,000.00 for a repeat offense, with each day the building remains unrepaired or unvacated counted as its own violation. The city may also pursue the state condemnation and razing procedure under Wisconsin Statutes section 66.0413.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can De Pere condemn a house that is falling apart?
How long does an owner have to fix a condemned building in De Pere?
What law governs the actual condemnation process?
Does this rule also cover garages, fences and other non-dwelling structures?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in De Pere
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