Sec. 518.302. - Notice to owner.

(a) Whenever the Chief finds any building or structure to be unsafe, he/she shall serve notice of such finding upon the owner, owner's agent, lessee, mortgagee and occupant as provided in this Section and shall order such unsafe building or structure, or portion thereof, to be made safe by repair or restoration or to be demolished and removed. The notice and order shall be written and shall include: (1) The street address, if any, of the unsafe structure and a legal description of the property upon which the unsafe structure is located; (2) A description of the building or structure or portion thereof deemed unsafe; (3) A statement of the particulars in which the building or structure or portion thereof is unsafe; (4) A reasonable time, to be not less than 30 days or the date set for a hearing whichever shall first occur, for compliance with the order; (5) A statement that the City shall have the right to demolish the building or structure without further notice if the offending conditions are not remedied within the time required; (6) That any repairs or demolition performed by the City shall cause a special assessment and lien to be placed for the total costs thereof and administrative fee. (7) A statement that the owner shall be subject to penalties provided in this Chapter if the offending conditions arc not remedied within the time required; and (8) That the City, notwithstanding the above, reserves the right to proceed with an action foreclosing the lien placed against the property upon which the nuisance existed, to hold the owner of the, property personally liable for the cost of correcting the offending condition, or placing the lien on the tax rolls for collections purposes. (9) A statement of the right of appeal as provided in this Chapter. (b) The notice and order required by this Section shall be mailed by certified mail to each owner, lessee, occupant and mortgagee of the structure as shown by the public records of Duval County, and shall also be mailed to the owner's agent if such agent's name and address is on file in the Property Appraiser's Office as shown on the latest tax roll. A notice containing as a minimum the following shall be posted upon the building or structure or conspicuously displayed upon the premises to which it relates: CONDEMNED This building or structure is unsafe and subject to being demolished pursuant to notice and order from the Municipal Code Compliance Division. The owner is subject to prosecution for failure to comply with such notice and order. It is unlawful to mutilate or remove this notice until such notice and order is complied with. (c) If one or more persons to whom the notice required by this Section is addressed cannot be found after diligent effort to do so, service may be made upon the unfound person or persons by causing the notice to be published, in a daily newspaper of general circulation published in the City, once a week for three consecutive weeks. (d) Notwithstanding the requirements of subsections (a), (b) and (c) of this Section, whenever the Chief finds any building or structure is in violation of this Chapter, or the City's Building Code, Electrical Code or Plumbing Code the Chief may serve upon the person or persons responsible for the violation a written notice or order in the form of a citation which sets forth the nature of the violation charged or the action ordered, the Sections of the Ordinance Code violated or authorizing the order, the date delivered and specifying the time within which the citation must be complied with. (Ord. 96-458-297, § 1; Ord. 2006-1363-E, § 13) Editor's note— Ordinance 2007-839-E, § 18, authorized updated department/division names pursuant to reorganization.