Sanford, FL Property Maintenance: Property Blight (2026)

Sec. 18-31 of the Sanford City Code authorizes the city commission to condemn and order demolished, removed, or repaired any building or structure found dilapidated, unsanitary, unsafe or uninhabitable, and lets designated city officials act in emergency circumstances without waiting for a commission vote. Sec. 18-33 defines when a building meets that standard: the city must have issued an order finding a public nuisance exists, and the structure must show at least one listed characteristic, such as being vacant and open at doors or windows, having an unwarranted accumulation of debris, deteriorating structural parts, hazardous electrical or mechanical systems, or being in substantial noncompliance with the 2006 International Property Maintenance Code as enacted by the city; alternatively, the city's public nuisance abatement board can declare the property a nuisance directly.

Before condemning, Sec. 18-32 requires the building official, fire chief or code official to inspect and report the condition in writing to the city manager, who decides whether to hold a public hearing; the owner is notified by certified mail, or by two weeks of newspaper publication if the owner cannot be located, and the city commission holds a hearing where the owner may present evidence. If the commission orders condemnation under Sec. 18-34, the owner gets a reasonable time to demolish, remove or repair the building; if the owner fails to act, Sec.

18-35 lets the city demolish it and record the cost as a municipal special assessment lien on the land, recoverable with attorney's fees. Sec. 18-36 lets the city manager, building official, fire chief or code official act immediately in an imminent-danger emergency, entering the property, fencing it, vacating adjacent structures or closing a public way as necessary, with costs assessed the same way.