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<section article="ghg" article_name="Health - General" number="20-308" title_number="20" title_name="Miscellaneous Health Provisions" subtitle_number="3" subtitle_name="Nuisance Control">
  <level label="a">
    <text>If, after investigation, the Secretary or a local health officer finds that a nuisance exists that presents an immediate hazard to public health, the Secretary or local health officer may summarily abate the nuisance.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <text>Before summarily abating a nuisance under this section, the Secretary or a local health officer shall:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>Serve an abatement order on the owner of the property where the nuisance exists or, if the owner cannot be found, on the occupant or tenant of the property; or</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>If the property is unoccupied and the owner cannot be found, attach an abatement order to the property where the nuisance exists.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <level label="1">
      <text>The abatement order shall require and state:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>A time period within which the owner, occupant, or tenant of the property where the nuisance exists shall abate the nuisance; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>The work and materials necessary to abate the nuisance.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The time period within which to abate the nuisance may not be less than 24 hours nor more than 5 days from the date and hour that the order is served.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <level label="1">
      <text>If the owner, occupant, or tenant served with an abatement order fails to abate or only partially abates the nuisance within the time specified in the order, the Secretary, local health officer, or the representative of the Secretary or local health officer shall:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>Enter on the property; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>At the expense of the owner, occupant, or tenant of the property, do any work and use any materials necessary to abate the nuisance.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The Secretary or local health officer may not expend more than $5,000 to abate the nuisance.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="e">
    <text>If, within 60 days after the Secretary or local health officer has completed an abatement under this section, the owner, occupant, or tenant does not pay to the Secretary or local health officer the cost of the abatement, the Secretary or local health officer shall file suit against the owner, occupant, or tenant in the District Court for the county where the nuisance was abated.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="f">
    <text>A person may not:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>Interfere with the Secretary, local health officer, or the representative of the Secretary or local health officer summarily abating a nuisance under this section; or</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Refuse to allow the Secretary, local health officer, or the representative of the Secretary or local health officer to enter on any property for the purpose of summarily abating a nuisance under this section.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
</section>
