Lexington, KY Property Maintenance: Property Blight (2026)

1 of the Section 12-1 Property Maintenance Code gives the code official broad authority over blighted structures: where a building 'in the code official's judgment is so old, dilapidated or has become so out of repair as to be dangerous, unsafe, unsanitary or otherwise unfit for human habitation, occupancy or use,' the official can order the owner to raze and remove it, or, if it can be made safe, give the owner the option to repair instead. The same authority extends to any structure where normal construction has stalled for more than a year, which can likewise be ordered razed.

3 supplies the enforcement backstop: if the owner doesn't comply with a demolition order within the prescribed time, the code official has the structure razed and removed 'through an available public agency or by contract or arrangement with private persons,' and charges the cost, plus an administrative fee capped at $250, against the real estate as a lien. 1 penalty schedule, $100 to $2,500 per offense, each day separate, or civil fines up to $10,000 per parcel, while nuisance violations under Section 12-2 route through the parallel Section 12-5 civil-fine table. Appeals of either track go to the administrative hearing board under Section 12-6.