Frederick, MD Property Maintenance: Property Blight (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- City Code § 5-17
- Authority
- Code official may condemn unsafe structures
- Vacant structure remedy
- City secures building, bills owner as lien
- Placard violation
- Removing/ignoring placard is a violation
- Max fine
- $1,000 per day, municipal infraction
- Related ordinance
- Vacant Property Ord., Ch. 12.5, Art. IV
Summary
Frederick's code official can condemn any structure found unsafe, unlawful, or unfit for human occupancy, posting a placard barring occupancy. Owners of vacant condemned buildings who fail to secure them face City-ordered securing at the owner's cost, billed as a property lien.
(a)General. When a structure or equipment is found by the code official to be unsafe, unlawful, or unfit for human occupancy, such structure shall be condemned pursuant to the provisions of this section.(b)Condemning of vacant structures. If the structure sought to be condemned, pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, is vacant and is not in danger of structural collapse, the code official may order the owner to secure the structure, may post a placard on the premises indicating that the structure has been condemned and prohibiting occupancy of the structure or removal of the placard.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Land Management Code: Supplement 13 | Code of Ordinances: Supplement 112).
Full Breakdown
City Code Sec. 5-17(a) authorizes the code official to condemn a structure or equipment found unsafe, unlawful, or unfit for human occupancy. For vacant structures not in danger of structural collapse, Sec. 5-17(b) lets the code official order the owner to secure the building and post a condemnation placard prohibiting occupancy or removal of the placard; if the owner fails to secure the structure within the ordered time, the City secures it directly and charges the cost to the owner, with any unpaid amount collectible as a lien against the property, the same way delinquent property taxes are collected.
Sec. 5-17(c) requires the code official to serve notice on the owner under Sec. 5-19's procedures and post notice at the premises. Sec. 5-17(e) requires the code official to remove the placard once the structural defects are abated so the building is no longer unsafe, unlawful, or unfit for occupancy. 5, Article IV, which defines a vacant building for tax and registration purposes and is enforced through the same Technical Code Appeals Board process described in Sec. governing disputes over condemnations and vacancy determinations.
Violations & Fines
Sec. 5-17(d) makes it a violation, subject to the penalties in Sec. 5-19, for anyone to remove a condemnation placard or occupy a condemned structure without the code official's authorization. Under the general Chapter 5 penalty in Sec. 5-22(a), violations are municipal infractions punishable by a fine of up to $1,000, with each day of continued violation a separate offense, and the City may separately pursue a court order to restrain occupancy or compel removal of the unsafe condition.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can the City force me to secure a vacant, unsafe building I own?
What happens if I remove a condemnation placard?
How do I get the condemnation placard removed?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Frederick
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