§ 331.384 — Abatement of public health and safety hazards — special assessments

Iowa § 331.384

• Jurisdiction: Iowa
• Title IX: LOCAL GOVERNMENT
• Ch. 331: COUNTY HOME RULE IMPLEMENTATION

Text

1. A county may:
a. Require the abatement of a nuisance, public or private, in any reasonable manner.
b. Requiretheremovalofdiseasedtreesordeadwood, exceptonpubliclyownedproperty
or right-of-way.

c. Require the removal, repair, or dismantling of an abandoned or dangerous building or
structure.
d. Require the numbering of buildings.
e. Require connection to public drainage systems from abutting property when necessary
for public health or safety.
f. Require the cutting or destruction of weeds or other growth which constitutes a health,
safety, or fire hazard.
2. If the property owner does not perform an action required under this section within a
reasonable time after notice, a county may perform the required action and assess the costs
against the property for collection in the same manner as a property tax. Notice may be in
the form of an ordinance or by certified mail to the property owner as shown by the records
of the county auditor, and shall state the time within which action is required. However, in
an emergency, a county may perform any action which may be required under this section
withoutpriornoticeandassessthecostsasprovidedinthissectionafternoticetotheproperty
owner and hearing.
3. If any amount assessed against property under this section exceeds five hundred
dollars, a county may permit the assessment to be paid in up to ten annual installments in the
same manner and with the same interest rates provided for assessments against benefited
property under chapter 384, subchapter IV.
4. Aspecialassessmentleviedpursuanttothissection,includingallinterestandpenalties,
is a lien against the benefited property from the date of filing the schedule of assessments
until the assessment is paid. A special assessment has equal precedence with ordinary taxes
and is not divested by judicial sale.
5. The procedures for making and levying a special assessment pursuant to this section
and for an appeal of the assessment are the same procedures as provided in sections 384.59
through 384.67 and sections 384.72 through 384.75, provided that the references in those
sections to the council shall be to the board of supervisors and the references to the city shall
be to the county.