Kill Devil Hills, NC Property Maintenance: Property Blight (2026)
Key Facts
- Triggers
- Condemned, unsecured or unsafe structure
- Determines condemnation
- Building Inspector
- Notice period
- 15 days to abate
- Town remedy
- Court order + town repair/removal
- Unpaid cost
- Becomes lien on property
- Chronic violator
- 3+ notices in a year
Summary
In the Town of Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina, a structure the Building Inspector has condemned as unfit for occupation, or one left unsecured, exterior-damaged or noncompliant with the State Building Code, is a declared public nuisance under the town's nuisance chapter, and the Town Manager can order the owner to fix or remove it or have the town do so and bill the cost.
The existence of any of the following conditions on any parcel of land within the corporate limits of the town is declared to be dangerous and prejudicial to the public health or safety and to constitute a public nuisance. ... (F) Condemned structures. Any structure that has been condemned by the Building Inspector as unfit for human occupation in accordance with the State Building Code and as otherwise by law provided. ... (I) Security. Structures that are not adequately secured so as to prevent occupancy by vagrants. ... (K) Exterior components. All exterior wall surfaces, trim, shutters, roofing, and exterior appurtenances and features that are not securely affixed to the structure and present a risk to public health or safety.
Full Breakdown
01 lists the conditions the town treats as a dangerous public nuisance, and several target substandard and blighted buildings specifically. Subsection (F) covers any structure the Building Inspector has condemned as unfit for human occupation under the State Building Code; subsection (I) covers structures 'not adequately secured so as to prevent occupancy by vagrants'; and subsection (K) covers exterior wall surfaces, trim, shutters, roofing and other appurtenances that are not securely affixed and present a risk to public health or safety. A companion clause, (J), reaches exterior stairs, landings, guards, handrails and decks that no longer meet the North Carolina Building Code in effect when they were built. 05. 07, letting the town act on the next violation without repeating the full notice cycle.
Violations & Fines
An owner who leaves a condemned, unsecured or structurally failing building unaddressed after the town's 15-day abatement notice faces town-ordered repair or removal under § 93.04, with the actual cost charged back under § 93.05 and turned into a property lien if unpaid after 30 days under § 93.06. The general penalty in § 10.99 adds a civil penalty of $50 to $500 per day depending on how long the violation continues after notice.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes a building a nuisance under Kill Devil Hills' code?
Who decides a building is condemned?
What happens if the owner does nothing after notice?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kill Devil Hills
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