Fort Wayne, IN Property Maintenance: Property Blight (2026)

Indiana Code 36-7-9-1 through 36-7-9-29, collectively entitled "The Unsafe Building Law," are hereby adopted in their entirety, incorporated by reference and made a part hereof as if copied verbatim. These provisions are further supplemented by the provisions of this chapter. All proceedings within the city for the inspection, repair and removal of unsafe buildings shall be governed by IC 36-7-9-1 through 36-7-9-29 and by the provisions of this chapter and any other applicable city ordinance.

(1)   Certain building conditions deemed unsafe. The description of an unsafe building contained in IC 36-7-9-4 is hereby supplemented to provide minimum standards for building conditions or maintenance in the city. Any building or structure which has any or all of the conditions or defects hereinafter described shall be deemed to be an unsafe building provided that such conditions or defects exist to the extent that life, health, property or safety of the public or its occupants are endangered:

(a)   Whenever any door, aisle, passageway or other means of exit is not of sufficient width or size or is not so arranged as to provide safe and adequate means of exit in case of fire or panic;

(b)   Whenever the stress in any materials, member or portion thereof, due to all dead and live loads, is more than 1% times the working stress or stresses approved for new buildings of similar structure, purpose or location;