Norman, OK Property Maintenance: Property Blight (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- NCC 2-204
- Removal deadline
- 30 days after Council hearing
- Hearing notice
- 15 days, certified mail
- Boarded threshold
- 18 consecutive months
- Repeat citation threshold
- 3+ unsecured-building citations in 12 months
- Lien priority
- Coequal with ad valorem tax lien
Summary
Norman's Code Compliance Officer can formally declare a structure dilapidated under NCC 2-204 after repeat unsecured-building citations or 18 months boarded up, triggering a City Council hearing, certified-mail notice to the owner and any mortgage holder, and a 30-day deadline to tear the structure down before the City does it and bills the property.
A structure which, through neglect or damage, lacks necessary repairs or otherwise is in a state of decay or partial ruin to such an extent that said structure is a hazard to the health, safety or welfare of the general public; A structure which is determined by the Code Compliance Officer in conjunction with the Director of Planning and Community Development or his designee to be an unsecured building under NCC 16-303(e), more than three times within any 12-month period; A structure which has been boarded and secured under NCC 16-303(e), for more than 18 consecutive months... Said notices shall be mailed and posted at least 15 days prior to the date of the hearing... the findings shall reflect that the property owner must remove the dilapidated structure no later than 30 days after the hearing... Upon the failure by the property owner to remove the structure within the 30-day period, the City shall commence destruction and removal of the dilapidated structure.
Full Breakdown
A building qualifies as dilapidated if it has decayed into a hazard to public health and safety, if it has been cited as an unsecured building under NCC 16-303(e) more than three times in any 12-month period, if it has stayed boarded and secured under that same section for more than 18 consecutive months, or if the governing body separately declares it a public nuisance. Once a Code Compliance Inspector's dilapidated finding is concurred in by the Director of Planning and Community Development (and the Fire Marshal, if fire is involved), the City Clerk sets a Council hearing.
Notice must go by certified mail to the owner at the address on the County Treasurer's current tax rolls and to any mortgage holder on record at the County Clerk, plus a copy posted on the property, all at least 15 days before the hearing. If Council finds the structure dilapidated, the owner has no more than 30 days from the hearing to remove it. If the deadline passes, the City demolishes the structure itself, sells any salvageable material to offset its costs, and bills the owner for the balance.
Unpaid costs become a lien filed with the County Clerk that is coequal with an ad valorem tax lien and superior to nearly every other claim on the property; if the owner hasn't paid within six months, the City certifies the debt to the County Treasurer for collection. The City can still pursue a civil remedy for the debt at any time, and none of this stops the City from separately abating the same structure as a nuisance under its general police power.
Violations & Fines
Missing the 30-day removal deadline lets the City demolish the structure at the owner's expense and record a lien against the property that ranks equal to unpaid ad valorem taxes and above nearly all other liens or titles. The City can also pursue a straight civil collection action for the demolition and administrative costs, and the record owner remains liable even after the structure is gone.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes a Norman building legally "dilapidated"?
How much warning does a Norman property owner get before a hearing?
What happens if the owner doesn't remove the building within 30 days?
Can Norman still go after the owner if the lien doesn't cover the cost?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Norman
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