Section 9-1 REMOVAL, REPAIR, ETC., OF CERTAIN BUILDINGS AND STRUCTURES.

1. The Town Manager shall prepare, at least once during the Fiscal Year beginning July 1, 2007, and continuing for each and every Fiscal Year thereafter, a list of buildings, walls, or any other structures within the Town which, in the written opinion of the Building Official of Warren County, Virginia, are in such condition as might endanger the public health or safety of the residents of the Town. Such list shall include the name and address of each owner or owners such buildings, structures, etc., and shall be turned over to the Town Council during the course of a Regular Meeting. The Council shall review said list and direct the owner or owners of such property to remove, repair, or secure such buildings, walls or other structures.

2. The Council shall cause a written Notice of its determination to be prepared and sent to each said owner or owners described in Subsection (1) and to the lienholders thereof by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested, to the last known address of such owners(s), and to be advertised once a week for two successive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation within the Town. If after thirty (30) days has elapsed from the return of said receipt or the conclusion of the newspaper publication, the owner(s) or lienholders of such property have taken no action to comply with said Notice, then Council may, by Resolution, direct that its employees or its agents remove, repair, or secure the said building, wall, or structure according to said Notice, and the costs or expenses thereof shall be chargeable to and paid by the owner(s) of such property and may be collected by the Town as its real estate taxes are collected. The term "repair" as used herein may include maintenance work to the exterior of the building to prevent deterioration of the building or adjacent buildings. If the Building Inspector of Warren County, Virginia, determines and files a written opinion with the Town Manager and the Council that the structure is deemed to pose a significant threat to public safety and such fact is stated in the aforesaid Notice, the Council may, by Resolution, take action to prevent unauthorized access to the building within seven (7) days of the aforesaid Notice, and collect the costs thereof in the same manner as previously described.

3. Every charge authorized by the Section with which the owner(s) of any such property have been assessed and that remains unpaid shall constitute a lien against such property ranking on a parity with liens for unpaid Town real property taxes and enforceable in the same manner as provided in Articles 3 and 4 of Chapter 39 of Title 58.1 of the Code of Virginia, 1950, as amended. The Council may by Resolution, waive such liens in order to facilitate the sale of the property, however, such liens may be waived only as to a purchaser who is unrelated by blood or marriage to the assessed owner(s) and has no business association with such owner(s). All such liens shall remain a personal obligation of the owner(s) of the property at the time the liens were imposed.