IN GENERAL

Kansas City Code ch. 56, art. I

in effect

Kansas City Code § 56-1 Applicability of chapter to corporations.

Sec. 56-1. - Applicability of chapter to corporations. When the owner or occupant of the premises on which a violation of this chapter has been determined to exist is a corporation, any officer of such corporation or the person in charge of the local office of such corporation who shall have been notified as provided for in sections 56-286 and 56-535 shall be guilty of violating the provisions of this chapter upon the failure, neglect or refusal of such corporation to comply with such notice. (Ord. No. 000807, § 1, 6-22-00)

Kansas City Code § 56-2 Alternative method of enforcement.

Sec. 56-2. - Alternative method of enforcement. The administrative enforcement procedure provided for in this chapter is intended to provide for an alternative method for the city to gain compliance with provisions of the Code prior to any formal court action. The administrative enforcement and hearing process provided herein as authorized under chapter 479, RSMo, will be in addition to any other legal or equitable remedy available to the city for Code violations, except that if a determination is made by the hearing officer, pursuant to the hearing process detailed in section 56-293 of this chapter, that a violation did not occur, the city may not then proceed with criminal prosecution for the same act or conduct. (Ord. No. 070851, § 1, 9-6-07)

Kansas City Code § 56-3 Re-inspection fee.

Sec. 56-3. - Re-inspection fee. (a) At the end of the period of time allowed in the notice and order to correct any violation, and if upon inspection any violation has not been abated, the director of neighborhood and community services shall charge a $75.00 re-inspection fee for each re-inspection until correction of all violations. (b) The city council shall have the authority to annually adjust the re-inspection fee by a percentage no greater than the percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index (all items/all urban consumers/Kansas City, Missouri-Kansas) published by the United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, provided that the increase is reflective of the costs of the services being provided. (c) No re-inspection fee shall be effective until approved by a simple majority of the city's electors. (Ord. No. 100309, § 2, 5-6-10)

Kansas City Code § 56-4 Special assessment to recover costs associated with enforcement.

Sec. 56-4. - Special assessment to recover costs associated with enforcement. (a) Fines and fees; certification of; effect of appeal. When the city takes measures to enforce this chapter through sections 56-2 and 56-3 the fines/fees associated with the administrative citation and re-inspections shall be determined, with respect to the property affected. The city shall certify a statement of the fine/fees and of service of notice on the owner, describing the real property upon which such enforcement measures was accomplished, to the director of finance. If any appeal shall have been filed from the order from the director of neighborhood and housing services or director of health within the period allowed by law, such costs of the enforcement measure shall not be certified to the director of finance unless and until final judgment shall have been rendered on such appeal confirming such order. (b) Issuance of special tax bill. Upon receipt of such certification, the director of finance shall cause the certified cost to be included in a special tax bill or added to the annual real estate tax bill for the property, at the director's option. The director of finance shall cause a copy of the notice of assessment to be sent to the owners of such property by regular U.S. mail, and the original thereof to be retained in the office of the city treasurer, appropriately filed. The certified cost shall be collected in the same manner and procedure for collecting real estate taxes. The tax bill shall be paid as provided in section 2-1722 of this Code. If the certified cost is not paid, and is considered delinquent, its collection shall be governed by the laws governing delinquent and back taxes. The tax bill from the date of the notice of assessment shall be deemed a personal debt against the owner and shall also be a lien on the property until paid. The city may initiate actions to collect against the owner and to enforce the lien if payment in full is not received before the bill becomes delinquent. Such lien may be enforced by any method appropriate for the enforcement of special assessments generally. (c) Costs in Municipal Court Action. In any case where the costs of enforcement measures shall have been assessed as additional costs in a municipal court action as provided in this chapter, and such cost judgment shall have been satisfied, the special assessment pertaining thereto shall be reduced or canceled accordingly, and the record in the office of the city treasurer shall be changed to reflect such reduction or cancellation. (Ord. No. 110775, § 2, 10-13-11; Ord. No. 130937, § 7, 12-19-13)

Kansas City Code § 56-5 Right of entry.

Sec. 56-5. - Right of entry. (a) Whenever necessary to make an inspection or to enforce the provisions of articles II, III and V of this chapter, or whenever the director, or the director's authorized representative has reasonable cause to believe that there exists in any building or structure any condition which makes such building or structure unsafe, the director or the director's authorized representative may enter the building or structure during normal work hours, or in the case of an emergency at any reasonable time to inspect the same or to perform any duty imposed upon the director by this code; provided, if such property be occupied, the director or the director's authorized representative shall request and obtain permission to enter before entering the building or structure. Reasonable effort must be made to locate the owner or other persons having charge or control of the property when seeking permission for entry. (b) If no consent has been given to enter or inspect any building or structure, no entry or inspection shall be made without the procurement of a warrant from the judge presiding in the Ninth Division, or if that judge is not available, from any other judge presiding in the Municipal Division, Kansas City, 16th Judicial Circuit Court of Missouri. (c) The director or the director's authorized representative may enter the premises without consent or a search warrant to make an inspection or enforce any of the provisions of this code only when an emergency exists as prescribed in sections 56-284 and 56-540. (d) Unless emergency conditions exist, or until a notice of violation and a reasonable opportunity to correct the violation is afforded the person, a summons shall not be served upon a resident, property owner, or other responsible person, which alleges a violation of articles II, III and V of this chapter based upon conditions discovered incidental to, and solely as a result of, conducting an investigation pursuant to the authority of a search warrant, but which is not the subject of the search warrant. (Ord. No. 150829, § 1, 10-15-15)

Kansas City Code § 56-6 Search warrant.

Sec. 56-6. - Search warrant. (a) Defined. A search warrant under this section is a written order by any judge in the Municipal Division, Kansas City, 16th Judicial Court of Missouri for the search or inspection of any property within the limits of the city. A search warrant is allowed in articles II, III and V of this chapter. (b) Process. If a complaint in writing is filed by the director, or the director's authorized representative, the director of health or the director's authorized representative, any police officer, deputy, or the city attorney of the city, with the municipal division judge, stating that he or she has probable cause to believe there exists in a building or structure, more particularly described therein, a violation or violations of provisions of this code and is within the territorial jurisdiction of the city, and permission to enter the building and structure from the owner was requested but not obtained, if such complaint is verified by the oath or affirmation stating evidential facts from which such judge determines the existence of probable cause, then such judge shall issue a search warrant directed to the authorized person to search the structure or premises therein described for the purposes requested. Such search warrant may be executed and returned only within ten days after the date of its issuance. The person authorized to search shall make a return promptly after concluding the search, and such return shall contain an itemization of all violations of this code discovered pursuant to such search. Refusal to allow entry upon presentation of a search warrant shall be an ordinance violation. Forcible entry may be permitted when authorized by the search warrant. (c) Entry procedure. Prior to entering upon private property to perform the search, the person executing the search warrant shall knock at the door or entrance where entry is to be made and shall announce that such person is an inspector executing a search warrant. If not permitted entry after knocking and announcing the search warrant is being executed, then the person executing such warrant may enter by reasonable force. For the purposes of this section, the term "reasonable force" means only the force necessary to remove a physical obstruction or barrier that is impeding entry onto private property and includes the removing of a boarded opening, cutting of a lock, forced opening of a door or the moving of debris. (Ord. No. 150829, § 1, 10-15-15)

Source: City of Kansas City, Missouri, Code of Ordinances, Charter and Zoning and Development Code (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/mo/kansas_city/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COORKAMIVOII_CH56PRMACO_ARTIINGEFetched: 10/28/2026