Montgomery County, VA Property Maintenance: Property Blight (2026)
Key Facts
- Trigger
- Structure endangers public health or safety
- Notice method
- Certified mail plus 2 weeks' newspaper publication
- Wait before county acts
- At least 30 days
- Cost recovery
- Charged to owner, collected as taxes/levies
- Unpaid cost becomes
- Lien parity with local tax liens
Summary
A Montgomery County property owner must remove, repair or secure any building or structure that endangers public health or safety. If the owner does not act after notice, the Board of Supervisors can do the work itself and place a lien on the property.
Sec 8-23 Removal, Repair Or Securing Of Buildings Duty of owner. The owner of property within the county shall, at such time as the board of supervisors may prescribe, remove, repair or secure any building, wall or any other structure which might endanger the public health or safety of other residents of the county. ... No action shall be taken by the board of supervisors to remove, repair or secure any building, wall or other structure for at least thirty (30) days following the later of the return of the receipt or newspaper publication. ... Every charge authorized by this section with which the owner of any such property shall have been assessed and which remains unpaid shall constitute a lien against such property ranking on a parity with liens for unpaid local taxes ...
Full Breakdown
Sec 8-23 places a duty on the owner of any building, wall or other structure that 'might endanger the public health or safety of other residents of the county' to remove, repair or secure it within a timeframe the Board of Supervisors prescribes. If the owner fails to act after 'reasonable notice and a reasonable time,' the Board of Supervisors, through its agents or employees, may remove, repair or secure the structure itself; the section defines 'repair' to include exterior maintenance work that prevents deterioration of the building or adjacent buildings.
Reasonable notice under the section means a written notice mailed by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested, to the owner's last known address, plus publication once a week for two successive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the county, and the board must wait at least 30 days after the later of the return receipt or the final publication before acting. If the county does the work, the cost is chargeable to the property owner and collectible as taxes and levies, and any unpaid charge becomes a lien on the property ranking on a parity with unpaid local tax liens, enforceable under Va.
1-3965. The county may waive such a lien only for a buyer unrelated by blood or marriage to the owner with no business association with the owner.
Violations & Fines
An owner who ignores the notice and the 30-day waiting period under Sec 8-23 faces the Board of Supervisors' own crews or agents removing, repairing or securing the unsafe structure at the owner's expense. That cost is collected the same way as unpaid taxes and levies, and any amount left unpaid becomes a lien against the property ranking with delinquent local tax liens, remaining a personal obligation of the owner at the time the lien was imposed even if the property later sells.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Montgomery County, VA make me repair a dangerous building?
How much notice does the county give before fixing an unsafe structure itself?
What happens if I don't pay the county's cost for repairing my unsafe building?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Montgomery County
Compare Montgomery County to another location·View the Virginia property maintenance overview
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