Oregon, OH Property Maintenance: Property Blight (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing chapter
- Codified Ordinances Ch. 1341
- Notice period to abate
- 30 days
- Hearing demand window
- 14 days
- Hearing board
- Solicitor, Service Director, Mayor
- Disobeying an order
- up to $100 fine or 5 days jail
- Enforcer
- Commissioner of Building and Zoning Inspection
Summary
In the City of Oregon, Ohio, decayed or disrepair structures, fences, sheds and billboards that endanger neighbors are a declared public nuisance, and the Commissioner of Building and Zoning Inspection can order abatement under Codified Ordinances Chapter 1341. Owners get 30 days' written notice and 14 days to demand a hearing before the City fixes the problem itself and bills them.
1341.03 ABATEMENT IN OTHER CASES; NOTICE REQUIRED. ... Should any one or more of the aforesaid officers of the City, after inspection of the premises where it is reported a public nuisance may exist, be of the opinion that a public nuisance does exist but that the nature thereof is not such as to require summary abatement, photographs and reports of their findings, the same as provided for in Section 1341.02, shall be made and filed with the Commissioner of Building and Zoning Inspection. ... The notice shall state, in brief, the findings of any one or more of the aforesaid officers of the City with respect to the existence of a public nuisance, and further that unless the owner causes the abatement of the public nuisance within thirty days after the service of the notice, the same will be abated by the City at the expense of the owner. ... The owner may, ... within fourteen days after receipt of the notice, make a demand in writing to the Commissioner of Building and Zoning Inspection for a hearing on the question of whether in fact a public nuisance exists and/or whether more than thirty days should be granted to the owner to abate the nuisance.
Full Breakdown
06 declares any decayed or dilapidated structure, fence, shed, advertising structure or billboard that menaces adjoining property or lives a public nuisance. 01 defines a "public nuisance" to include any motor vehicle, fence, wall, shed, house, building or structure whose condition endangers health, life, limb or property, is a fire hazard, is unsafe for occupancy, or is a long-vacant, poorly maintained eyesore that depreciates neighboring property. 02, a complaint to the Commissioner of Building and Zoning Inspection triggers inspection, and if immediate danger exists, the Lucas County Health Department Sanitarian and the Division of Fire chief are notified and summary abatement can follow 24 hours' notice.
03 requires written notice to the record owner found in the Lucas County Treasurer's records, giving 30 days to abate; the owner may instead apply for a building permit to make repairs, or demand a hearing within 14 days before a board made up of the Solicitor, the Director of Public Service and the Mayor. 04 authorizes the Commissioner to enter the property, abate the nuisance directly or by private contract, sell salvageable material, and assess the net cost against the property through the Lucas County Auditor as a lien collected with property taxes.
99 by a fine of up to $100 or up to five days in jail, with each day past the notice deadline a separate offense.
Violations & Fines
Failing to abate a declared nuisance within the 30-day notice period (or any extension granted at a hearing) lets the City enter and repair or demolish the property itself, billing the owner and recording any unpaid balance as a lien collected with county property taxes. Refusing to obey a Commissioner's order is a separate offense under 1341.99, punishable by up to a $100 fine or five days in jail, with each additional day a new violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who decides a building is a public nuisance in Oregon, Ohio?
How long do I have to fix a nuisance property?
What happens if I ignore the notice?
Can I get a permit to repair instead of having the City fix it?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Oregon
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Property Blight in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Lucas County handle property blight.