Missouri § 67.398 - Debris on property, ordinance may require abatement — abatement for vacant building in Kansas City — notice to owner — effect of failure to remove nuisance, penalties.

§ 67.398. Debris on property, ordinance may require abatement — abatement for vacant building in Kansas City — notice to owner — effect of failure to remove nuisance, penalties.

1.  The governing body of any city or village, or any county having a charter form of government, or any county of the first classification that contains part of a city with a population of at least three hundred thousand inhabitants, or any county of the first classification with more than one hundred one thousand but fewer than one hundred fifteen thousand inhabitants, may enact ordinances to provide for the abatement of a condition of any lot or land that has the presence of a nuisance including, but not limited to, debris of any kind, weed cuttings, cut, fallen, or hazardous trees and shrubs, overgrown vegetation and noxious weeds which are seven inches or more in height, rubbish and trash, lumber not piled or stacked twelve inches off the ground, rocks or bricks, tin, steel, parts of derelict cars or trucks, broken furniture, any flammable material which may endanger public safety or any material or condition which is unhealthy or unsafe and declared to be a public nuisance.

2.  The governing body of any home rule city with more than four hundred thousand inhabitants and located in more than one county may enact ordinances for the abatement of a condition of any lot or land that has vacant buildings or structures open to entry.

3.  Any ordinance authorized by this section shall provide for service to the owner of the property and, if the property is not owner-occupied, to any occupant of the property of a written notice specifically describing each condition of the lot or land declared to be a public nuisance, and which notice shall identify what action will remedy the public nuisance.  Unless a condition presents an immediate, specifically identified risk to the public health or safety, the notice shall provide a reasonable time, not less than ten days, in which to abate or commence removal of each condition identified in the notice.  Written notice may be given by personal service or by first-class mail to both the occupant of the property at the property address and the owner at the last known address of the owner, if not the same.  Upon a failure of the owner to pursue the removal or abatement of such nuisance without unnecessary delay, the building commissioner or designated officer may cause the condition which constitutes the nuisance to be removed or abated.  If the building commissioner or designated officer causes such condition to be removed or abated, the cost of such removal or abatement and the proof of notice to the owner of the property shall be certified to the city clerk or officer in charge of finance who shall cause the certified cost to be included in a special tax bill or added to the annual real estate tax bill, at the collecting official's option, for the property and the certified cost shall be collected by the city collector or other official collecting taxes in the same manner and procedure for collecting real estate taxes.  If the certified cost is not paid, the tax bill shall be considered delinquent, and the collection of the delinquent bill shall be governed by the laws governing delinquent and back taxes.  The tax bill from the date of its issuance shall be deemed a personal debt against the owner and shall also be a lien on the property from the date the tax bill is delinquent until paid.

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(L. 1997 H.B. 386 § 1, A.L. 2002 S.B. 1086 & 1126, A.L. 2016 S.B. 572, A.L. 2021 H.B. 271)