Matanuska-Susitna Borough, AK Property Maintenance: Property Blight (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- MSB § 8.45.030(A)
- Who can start it
- Assembly, planning commission, or a city
- Notice before hearing
- 30 days to owner or agent
- Grace period after order
- At least 30 more days
- Cost recovery
- Salvage sale, then assessed against land
Summary
A building in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough that is a fire or health hazard, or a public nuisance, can be condemned and ordered demolished by the borough assembly under Matanuska-Susitna Borough Code § 8.45.030. The owner gets 30 days' notice before the hearing and at least 30 more days after the assembly's order to remove the structure before the borough steps in and removes it.
The assembly shall, upon its own motion, upon the recommendation of the planning commission, or upon the request and recommendation of any city in the borough, institute proceedings for the condemnation of buildings which are a fire or health hazard or public nuisance. After a hearing following 30 days' notice to the owner or the owner's agent, the assembly shall order the building's removal or demolition. However, the owner shall be given at least 30 days after the hearing to remove the buildings before the city or borough may proceed to remove the buildings. If the borough removes the building, the cost is chargeable to the property, first against the salvaged material, which may be sold at public auction, and the balance of the cost, if any, against the land, as in the case of taxes.
Full Breakdown
030(A) lets the assembly start condemnation proceedings three ways: on its own motion, on the planning commission's recommendation, or at the request and recommendation of any city within the borough, which folds Palmer, Wasilla, and Houston into the process even though the borough usually stays out of intra-city building enforcement. Once proceedings start, the owner or the owner's agent gets 30 days' notice before a hearing, after which the assembly can order the building removed or demolished. The owner then gets at least 30 more days after the hearing to take the building down voluntarily before the city or borough moves in.
If the borough ends up doing the removal, the cost is charged first against any salvaged material, which the borough can sell at public auction, and any remaining balance is assessed against the land itself, collected the same way as delinquent property taxes. 45 framework. The section dates to the original 1994 buildings and construction ordinance, Ord. 94-001AM, and was amended by Ord. 95-088(SUB)(am) the following year.
Violations & Fines
A violation is a borough infraction under Chapter 1.45, carrying a minimum $75 fine and a $1,000 cap under §§ 1.45.100(A) and 1.45.080(A). Separately, if the borough demolishes the building itself, the removal cost is recovered first from salvaged materials and then assessed against the land like unpaid property taxes; a civil penalty up to $1,000 per violation and injunctive relief also remain available under § 1.45.060.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can start condemnation proceedings for a dangerous building in Mat-Su?
How much notice does a property owner get before a condemnation hearing?
Who pays if the borough demolishes a condemned building?
Does this condemnation power apply inside Wasilla, Palmer, or Houston?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Matanuska-Susitna Borough
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