Ridgefield, CT Property Maintenance: Property Blight (2026)
Key Facts
- Prohibition
- no blighted premises allowed
- Enforcing body
- 5-member Blight Prevention Board
- Hearing deadline
- within 30 days of notice
- New owner extension
- 30 days, granted on request
- Civil penalty
- $100+ per day
- Willful violation fine
- up to $250 per day
- Citation payment window
- 10 business days
Summary
Ridgefield bars landowners from allowing a building or lot to become 'blighted' under Town Code § 235-3, defined at § 235-2 as dilapidated, fire-hazardous, attracting illegal activity or otherwise seriously endangering the community. A five-member Blight Prevention Board investigates complaints, and an unremedied violation draws a civil penalty of at least $100 per day under § 235-8.
BLIGHTED PREMISES Any building, structure or parcel of land, including, without limitation, single-family or multifamily residential or commercial, whether occupied or vacant, except exempt property as defined below, in which at least one of the following conditions exists: A. It is dilapidated or becoming dilapidated as documented by the Building Official. ... D. It is determined by the Blight Prevention Board, the Building Official or by the Director of the Health District that the condition of the building, structure or parcel of land poses a serious or immediate danger to the safety, health or general welfare of the community. ... § 235-3. Prohibition. No owner/occupant shall allow, maintain or cause to be maintained any blighted premises. ... § 235- ... 8. Penalties for offenses. A. Violations of the provisions of this chapter shall be punishable by a civil penalty equal to the greater of $100 or the maximum amount allowed by C.G.S. § 7-148(c)(7)(H)(xv), as the same may be amended from time to time, for each day a violation exists and continues beyond the date required for remediation set forth in the notice of violation issued under § 235-6 hereof.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4717891; v14 updated 2026-01-21; through 01-21-2026).
Full Breakdown
§ 7-148(c)(7), § 7-148aa and § 7-152c, Chapter 235 defines BLIGHTED PREMISES broadly: a building, structure or parcel, occupied or vacant, that is dilapidated as documented by the Building Official, dilapidated and attracting illegal activity per the Police Department, dilapidated and a fire hazard per the Fire Marshal, found by the Blight Prevention Board to pose a serious or immediate danger to safety, health or welfare, or simply not adequately maintained, a factor list that includes broken or boarded windows and doors, collapsing walls or roofs, unregistered vehicles visible from the street, rodent infestation and unrepaired fire or water damage.
The five-member Blight Prevention Board, made up of the Fire Marshal, Health Director, Building Official, Zoning Enforcement Officer and First Selectman, investigates written complaints and, if a probable violation exists, must hold a hearing within 30 days of notifying the owner/occupant. The Board can grant a new owner a mandatory 30-day extension to remediate, and may grant further extensions for elderly, disabled or low-income owners who show good cause. A property actively under repair is exempt for up to one year from the date a complaint is received. § 7-148aa.
Violations & Fines
Failing to abate a documented blighted condition after the Board's remediation deadline draws a civil penalty equal to the greater of $100 or the state-law maximum under C.G.S. § 7-148(c)(7)(H)(xv) for each day the violation continues, plus attorneys' fees, court costs and other enforcement expenses under § 235-8. A willful violation of the housing-blight provisions on top of that can bring a separate state fine of up to $250 per day under § 235-9.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes a property 'blighted' under Ridgefield's ordinance?
Who decides if my property is in violation?
How much can I be fined for an unresolved blight violation?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Ridgefield
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