Showing ordinances that apply to Riva, MD
Riva is an unincorporated community (population 4,257) in Anne Arundel County, Maryland. Because Riva is not an incorporated city, it does not have its own municipal code. Instead, Anne Arundel County ordinances apply directly to properties here. The property blight rules below are the ones that govern your area.
Anne Arundel County Article 12 (Property Maintenance Code, based on IPMC) addresses blight — peeling paint, broken windows, accumulated debris, overgrown yards. Notice gives 10–30 days to cure; abatement costs become a lien. Vacant and unsafe structures are separately regulated.
The Anne Arundel County Department of Inspections & Permits / Code Enforcement Division enforces Article 12 of the County Code, which adopts the 2018 International Property Maintenance Code with local amendments. Typical violations include peeling or weathered exterior paint, broken or boarded windows, missing siding, damaged roofing, accumulated junk, overgrown grass and weeds, abandoned swimming pools, and derelict vehicles. After an inspection, the department issues a Notice of Violation specifying the defect and a compliance deadline — usually 10 to 30 days, extended for weather-sensitive repairs. Failure to cure triggers a Municipal Infraction Citation. Vacant and unsafe structures are separately regulated under Article 11 vacant property registration (annual fee and point of contact required). The county may contract abatement (boarding, mowing, debris removal) and impose the cost as a lien on the property under Article 1. Chronic blight properties in areas like Glen Burnie, Pasadena, and Brooklyn Park are targeted for receivership under state authority in extreme cases.
Municipal Infraction Citation: $100–$500 per day continuing violation. Abatement costs liened against property and collectible with taxes. Unsafe structures: condemnation and forced vacate; demolition bill liened. Vacant property without registration: $1,000+ penalties.
See how Riva's property blight rules stack up against other locations.
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