Macon-Bibb County, GA Property Maintenance: Property Blight (2026)
Key Facts
- Enforcing officer
- Director, Dept. of Code Enforcement
- Nuisance threshold (land)
- 20 cu. yd. or 3,000 lb. of debris
- Hearing window
- 15 to 45 days after filing
- Abatement deadline
- Within 270 days of order
- Lien collection
- Like delinquent ad valorem taxes (§ 15-81)
- Appeal
- Superior court injunction within 15 days (§ 15-83)
Summary
Macon-Bibb County declares dilapidated, fire-hazardous, or unsanitary dwellings and buildings public nuisances under Code of Ordinances § 15-79, and lets the Code Enforcement director, as public officer, seek a court order to repair, close, or demolish them under § 15-80. Owners get a hearing before the court, and unpaid abatement costs become a real property lien collected like ad valorem taxes.
The following conditions are hereby defined and declared to be public nuisances wherever they may exist within Macon-Bibb County: (a)dwellings, buildings, structures, or properties which:(i)Are unfit for human habitation or for commercial, industrial, or business uses due to dilapidation and which are not in compliance with applicable codes;(ii)Which have defects or conditions increasing the hazards of fire, accidents, collapse, infestation, unauthorized access, the concealment of illicit activity, or other calamities;(iii)Which lack adequate ventilation, light, or sanitary facilities.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Comprehensive Land Development Resolution: Supplement 4 | Code of Ordinances: Supplement 20).
Full Breakdown
§§ 41-2-7 and 41-2-9. " Subsection (b) separately treats land piled with debris, garbage, or scrap exceeding 20 cubic yards or 3,000 pounds as a nuisance. Section 15-80 appoints the director of the Macon-Bibb County Department of Code Enforcement as "public officer" to enforce the article. On a complaint from a public authority or at least five residents, the public officer investigates and, if warranted, files an in rem complaint against the property, with notice served on interested parties by certified mail or, if unknown, by newspaper publication for two consecutive weeks.
A hearing must occur between 15 and 45 days after filing, and the court can order repair, alteration, or demolition depending on whether fixing the structure costs more than it's worth relative to the structure's present value. If an owner does not comply, the public officer may carry out the repair or demolition directly, commencing within 270 days of the deadline set in the order. Under § 15-81, the abatement costs, court costs, and fees become a lien on the property, collected by the tax commissioner the same way as delinquent ad valorem taxes, without the usual 12-month waiting period that otherwise applies to tax foreclosure.
Violations & Fines
A property owner who ignores a § 15-80 repair or demolition order faces county-performed abatement at the owner's expense, a real property lien under § 15-81 that bears the same interest and penalties as delinquent ad valorem taxes, and citations under § 15-79.1 subject to the general penalty in Code of Ordinances § 1-6. Owners may petition the superior court for an injunction under § 15-83 within 15 days of the order.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes a building a public nuisance in Macon-Bibb County?
Can Macon-Bibb County demolish my building without going to court?
Who pays for a Macon-Bibb County demolition or repair order?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Macon-Bibb County
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