Minnetonka, MN Property Maintenance: Property Blight (2026)
Key Facts
- Who finds the defect
- City building official or fire marshal
- Order form
- Written, served by mail or personal service
- Compliance time
- 30 days or other time deemed reasonable
- Occupancy
- Order can bar use or occupancy until corrected
- Appeal
- Written request to city clerk within seven calendar days
- Major abatement
- Estimated cost over $5,000 goes to council hearing
- Code section
- Minnetonka City Code § 845.040
Summary
In the City of Minnetonka, Minnesota (Hennepin County), a building or structure is a public nuisance if the city building official or fire marshal finds it dangerous to public safety, health or other property because of fire damage, decay, defective wiring, gas, heating or plumbing, or any other defect. The repair, correction or removal order must be in writing, with 30 days or other reasonable time.
1. A building or structure in the city is a public nuisance affecting public safety and health if the city building official or fire marshal find it to be dangerous to public safety, health or to other property by reason of: a. damage by fire; ... c. dilapidated condition or decay; d. defective electric wiring; e. defective gas installation; f. defective heating apparatus; g. defective sewage disposal system or plumbing; or h. any other defect endangering the public safety, health or other property. 2. The building inspector or the fire marshal may order the nuisance abated by ordering its repair, correction or removal. This order must be in writing and must order the repair, correction or removal of the nuisance within 30 days or other time that the building inspector or fire marshal deems reasonable. This order must be served upon the owner, the lessee or the occupant by mail or by personal service. The order may provide that the building or structure not be further used or occupied until the repair or correction of the defect.
Full Breakdown
Section 845.040 of the Minnetonka City Code is the dangerous-building rule. A building or structure is a public nuisance affecting public safety and health when the city building official or fire marshal finds it dangerous to public safety, health or other property by reason of fire damage, defective chimneys or stovepipes, dilapidated condition or decay, defective electric wiring, defective gas installation, defective heating apparatus, defective sewage disposal system or plumbing, or any other defect endangering the public safety, health or other property.
The building inspector or the fire marshal can order the nuisance abated by repair, correction or removal. The order must be in writing and must set a deadline of 30 days or other time the inspector or marshal deems reasonable. It is served on the owner, the lessee or the occupant by mail or personal service, and it can bar further use or occupancy of the building or structure until the defect is fixed.
The general abatement procedure in § 845.045 sits behind that order. For standard abatement the enforcing officer gives written notice in person or by certified mail; if the property is unoccupied or the owner is unknown, the notice can be posted for at least 72 hours. The notice states the location, the nature of the nuisance with the code reference, the steps and time to abate, and the right to appeal. An appeal goes in writing to the city clerk before the abatement deadline or within seven calendar days after service, whichever comes first, and a timely appeal is heard by the City Council on at least ten days notice.
The officer can skip the standard steps for summary abatement when there is an immediate threat to public health or safety or an immediate threat of serious property damage. When the good faith cost estimate exceeds $5,000, the matter is referred to a City Council hearing. Section 300.33, titled Anti-Blight Regulations, deals with sexually-oriented businesses and is not the property-condition rule.
Violations & Fines
A violation of the nuisance chapter is a misdemeanor under § 845.050, punished under § 1310.010 in accordance with state law, and each calendar day is a separate offense. The owner is personally liable for the city's abatement cost, including administrative costs, and unpaid charges become a lien on the property. Repeat abatements within 60 months add administrative fees of $100, $200, $400, then $800. Costs unpaid 30 days after the bill can be certified to the Hennepin County auditor, in annual installments not exceeding ten.
Frequently Asked Questions
What conditions make a Minnetonka building a public nuisance?
How long do I have to fix a dangerous building?
Can I challenge a nuisance designation?
Can the city act without waiting for an appeal period?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Minnetonka
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Property Blight in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Hennepin County handle property blight.