GENERAL PROVISIONS

Grand Rapids City Code tit. IX, ch. 151, art. 1

in effect

Grand Rapids City Code § 9.1 Statement of Findings and Purpose.

Sec. 9.1. - Statement of Findings and Purpose. The existence of public nuisances as defined in this Chapter, and elsewhere in the Code, on private or public property, is found to create conditions tending to reduce the value of private property, to promote blight and deterioration, to invite illegal activities, to create fire hazards, to create hazards to the health and safety of minors, to create harborage for vermin and pests and to be injurious to the public health, safety and general welfare. Therefore, the presence of a public nuisance on private or public property is declared to be contrary to the public good and shall be subject to notices, orders or other Code enforcement actions to abate, and in the absence of compliance with such Code enforcement actions, to abatement by the City or a City contractor or vendor. The City also finds that abatement-related and Code enforcement actions or abatement by the City may not be adequate to deal with the problem and shall not preclude other legal or administrative actions as deemed necessary or advisable by the City. The City further finds that there is a need to recover Code enforcement and public nuisance abatement-related costs incurred by the City in public nuisance abatement whether the public nuisance is abated by the City, a City vendor or contractor, or by some other person. It is the purpose of this Chapter to provide for the lawful and cost-effective abatement of public nuisances as promptly as possible. (Ord. No. 2011-44, § 1, 10-11-11)

Grand Rapids City Code § 9.2 General Definition of Nuisances.

Sec. 9.2. - General Definition of Nuisances. Whatever annoys, injures or endangers the safety, health, comfort or repose of the public; offends public decency; interferes with, obstructs or renders dangerous any street, highway or any body of water; or in any way renders the public insecure in life or property is hereby declared to be a public nuisance. Public nuisances shall include, but not be limited to, whatever is forbidden by any provision of this Chapter and shall include any provision of this Code declared in this Code to be a nuisance. No person shall commit, permit, create or maintain a public nuisance. (Ord. No. 2011-44, § 1, 10-11-11)

Grand Rapids City Code § 9.3 Abatement of Nuisances.

Sec. 9.3. - Abatement of Nuisances. Where no other procedure is made specifically applicable by another provision of this Code, any property, structure, condition or activity prohibited by this Chapter, or declared a public nuisance elsewhere in this Code, may be abated by the City Manager, acting in the capacity of Director of Public Welfare, or the City Manager's designee, in accordance with the procedure set out in this Chapter. The City Manager shall first investigate, or cause to be investigated, the existence of the alleged public nuisance to determine whether or not a public nuisance as defined in Section 9.1, or elsewhere in this Code, exists and to further determine the person who has created, is committing, is permitting or is maintaining that public nuisance. The City Manager, or the City Manager's designee, shall then give written notice to the person or persons responsible for the creation, commission, permitting or maintenance of such public nuisance, specifying in particular the nature of the public nuisance, the corrective action to be taken to abate the public nuisance, and the time limit for the abatement of the public nuisance, which shall be a reasonable time, but not to exceed twenty days from the time the notice is served. The notice shall be served in accordance with Section 1.11 of the City Code. If, at the expiration of the time limit in the notice, the person responsible for the public nuisance shall not have complied with the requirements of the notice, the City Manager shall carry out the requirements of the notice, take other action as permitted by this Code or state law, or otherwise abate the public nuisance. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Code, where a public nuisance that necessitates abatement exists on private property, the owner of the property where the public nuisance condition exists, as determined by the City in accordance with this Code, shall be liable for all costs incurred by the City in connection with its enforcement of the City Code regardless of whether the City performs the work, a City contractor or vendor performs the work, or whether the City's Code enforcement actions caused the person or persons with ownership of the property, as defined in this Code, to perform the work or otherwise bring the property into compliance with the applicable provisions of the City Code. All of the costs of Code enforcement activities provided for in this Code and incurred by the City shall be billed to the owner of the property, or other clearly responsible party, and shall be paid within 30 days of mailing. All costs of such abatement-related and Code enforcement activities shall be a personal debt owed to the City by the person billed for the public nuisance and, if the public nuisance is attributable to the use, occupancy, care, control, dominion or ownership of any land or premises, shall also, in addition to being a personal debt, be charged against such premises and the owner thereof and shall be a lien on the property until paid. It shall be a violation of this Code for any person to fail, neglect or refuse to comply with an order issued pursuant to the provisions of this Chapter unless an appeal is lawfully filed as provided for in this Chapter. (Ord. No. 2011-44, § 1, 10-11-11)

Grand Rapids City Code § 9.4 Remedies Severable.

Sec. 9.4. - Remedies Severable. Any action taken by the City to abate any public nuisance under the provisions of this Article, or any other provision of the City Code, shall not affect the right of the City to institute other legal or administrative proceedings against the person committing, creating, permitting or maintaining any public nuisance for violation of this Code nor affect the imposition of the penalty or remedy prescribed or imposed for such violation. Upon application by the City to any court of competent jurisdiction, the court may order the public nuisance abated and/or the violation or threatened violation restrained and enjoined. (Ord. No. 2011-44, § 1, 10-11-11)

Grand Rapids City Code § 9.5 Appeals; Hearing.

Sec. 9.5. - Appeals; Hearing. Except as otherwise provided in this Chapter, appeals from any notice, billing, order or any other Code enforcement or abatement-related action of any officer, employee or agent charged with the enforcement of this Chapter shall be made to the Housing Appeal Board established by and provided for in Chapter 140 of this Code and according to the process and procedure set out therein. As provided for in Chapter 140, an appeal shall be filed within twenty (20) days of the date of any notice, order, ruling or action being appealed. However, if a notice, order, ruling or action requires the abatement of a public nuisance or other action within a shorter period of time, the appeal must be made within such shorter period. Upon the filing of an appeal as provided for in this Chapter, compliance with the notice, billing or order shall be stayed until the matter is heard and decided by the Housing Appeal Board except as otherwise provided in this Chapter. As provided for in Chapter 140, failure to comply with the requirements of that Chapter regarding an appeal shall be grounds for denial of the appeal. An appeal fee, established by the City Commission, shall be paid as provided for in Chapter 140 of this Code, unless waived as provided for by that Chapter. The Housing Appeals Board may modify, reverse or affirm the notice, billing or order, in whole or in part, or make such order or decision with regard to the appeal as is determined necessary in light of the circumstance of the situation and the need to protect the public as provided for in Section 9.1. In hearing and deciding an appeal, the Housing Appeal Board shall have all the power of the officer, employee or agent from whom the appeal was taken. The decision of the Housing Appeal Board shall be final except as otherwise provided for by law. If, as determined by the City Manager or the City Manager's designee, a serious and immediate threat to life, health or other public or private property exists, the City may summarily abate the public nuisance notwithstanding the filing of an appeal. The City shall attempt to provide verbal or written notice to the responsible party prior to a summary abatement, but, in light of the need for summary action, the failure to effectively provide such notice shall not preclude summary abatement. Should a summary abatement occur, the appeal shall be limited to the issue of responsibility for the cost of abating the public nuisance and related costs, as provided for by this Code. It shall be a violation of this Code for any person to fail, neglect or refuse to comply with an order or decision of the Housing Appeal Board made pursuant to this Chapter. (Ord. No. 2011-44, § 1, 10-11-11)

Grand Rapids City Code § 9.6 Code Enforcement and Abatement—Related Costs.

Sec. 9.6. - Code Enforcement and Abatement—Related Costs. Where the public nuisance conditions that necessitate abatement exist on private or public property, the person or persons committing, creating, permitting or maintaining the public nuisance, and any owner of the private property where the public nuisance conditions exist, shall be liable for all Code enforcement and abatement-related costs incurred by the City in connection with its enforcement of the provisions of this Code regardless of whether the City performs the abatement work, the abatement work is performed by a City contractor or vendor, or the abatement is performed by the person or persons with use, occupancy, care, control, dominion or ownership over the property or others. Costs authorized to be charged under this Code include, but are not limited to, notices, orders, inspections and other actions, including property remediation after the public nuisance abatement. (Ord. No. 2011-44, § 1, 10-11-11)

Source: City of Grand Rapids, Michigan, City Code and City Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/mi/grand_rapids/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIOLRE_CH151NU_ART1GEPRFetched: 11/7/2026