Kankakee County, IL Property Maintenance: Property Blight (2026)
Key Facts
- Declared a nuisance
- unsafe, fire-prone or structurally dangerous buildings
- Notice required
- written notice to owner/agent with repair deadline
- If owner can't be found
- notice posted on the building itself
- Noncompliance
- county can remove the structure or sue owner
- Repair-cost trigger
- over 50% of replacement value = full code compliance
Summary
In unincorporated Kankakee County, any building or wall that is unsafe, fire-prone or structurally dangerous is declared a nuisance under the county building code. The code enforcement officer notifies the owner in writing, sets a deadline to repair or demolish, and can order the county to remove the structure if the owner does not comply.
Any building, wall or structure which is unsafe or dangerous to occupants or passersby, or to adjoining buildings, or which is unsafe or dangerous for the purpose for which it is used, or is in danger of being set on fire for any defect in its construction, or is especially dangerous in case of fire by reason of bad condition of walls or lack of sufficient stairways and means of egress in case of fire, or from overloaded floors, defective construction or other cause, is hereby declared an unsafe structure and is declared a nuisance. ... If the owner, agent or person in possession of such building or structure, or part thereof, when so notified shall fail, neglect, or refuse to place such building or structure in a safe condition and to adopt such precautionary measures as have been specified by the code enforcement officer within the time of such notice, or to remove the building if so directed; in such case at the expiration of such time it shall be the duty of the code enforcement officer to proceed forthwith to remove such building or to proceed against the owner or agent.
Full Breakdown
' Once the code enforcement officer learns of that condition, subsection (b) requires written notice to the owner, agent, or person in possession describing the work needed and giving a timeframe that accounts for how dangerous the structure is. If the notice cannot be served on an owner or agent because none can be found, subsection (d) lets the officer post the notice on the building itself, near its main entrance, and the clock still runs. If the owner does nothing by the deadline, subsection (c) puts the county in charge: the code enforcement officer must proceed to remove the building or pursue the owner or agent directly, and subsection (f) sends the matter to county legal counsel to compel compliance.
A condemned building can be restored to a safe condition without triggering full modern-code compliance, unless the repair or reconstruction cost exceeds 50 percent of the building's replacement value excluding the foundation, in which case subsection (e) requires it to meet current construction standards in full.
Violations & Fines
Ignoring a nuisance-structure notice under Section 105-132 lets the code enforcement officer proceed to remove the building at the county's direction or refer the owner to county legal counsel for enforcement action. The officer can also issue a stop-work order under Section 105-133 against any demolition or repair being carried out in a reckless or dangerous manner, and a continuing Chapter 105 violation carries the Section 105-131 fine of up to $500 per day.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes a building a 'nuisance structure' in Kankakee County?
What happens after the county issues a dangerous-building notice?
Can the county act if it can't find the property owner?
Can a condemned building in Kankakee County be repaired instead of torn down?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kankakee County
Compare Kankakee County to another location·View the Illinois property maintenance overview
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