Nuisance Abatements

The Cass County Health Department or one of the county’s municipalities may declare that a property is a public nuisance if the condition of the property may endanger public safety, or is unhealthy or unsafe.

· Conditions such as the presence of trash or rubbish, derelict vehicles, abandoned appliances, or overgrown or noxious weeds may constitute a public nuisance.

·The property owner will be notified that a public nuisance exists and will be given a specified period of time to abate, or clean up, the nuisance.

· If the property owner fails to comply or abate the nuisance, the Cass County Commission and/or authorities within a county municipality may issue an order of abatement in which the costs to abate the nuisance is expensed to the County Health Department and/or other appropriate municipal authorities.

·The county and/or municipality will seek restitution for the costs by creating a special assessment tax bill that is to be collected by the Cass County Collector.

·The special assessment, which will be included on your real estate tax bill, for the abatement is due by December 31 in the year of the assessment. The bill will be considered delinquent if unpaid by January 1 of the following year. All applicable late penalties and fees will apply to delinquent bills.

·The special assessment resulting from nuisance abatement shall be considered a personal debt against the owner and it shall also be a lien on the property until it is paid.

· Statutorily, other cities in Cass County may request the county collector to bill and assess nuisances that may have been abated by the city.

For answers to any questions concerning a nuisance abatement bill, please contact the collector’s office at (816) 380-8376.