Demolition

As a last effort in any enforcement action the City of Portsmouth can order a building demolished.  This extraordinary action is reserved for  severe and major blighting influences where the owner has abandoned or fails to correct problems with vacant or damaged buildings.  This power to order demolition is found in the Uniform Statewide Building Code.  As with all such orders the owner has the right to appeal the demolition order if the appeal is noted within 20 days of the notice.  The appeal is then heard before the City of Portsmouth's Board of Building Code of Appeals.  In the event of emergency conditions, the order for demolition can be effective immediately.  In other cases the demolition process can take several months.

 When demolition occurs through a city order, the owner is responsible for all costs of the demolition including the administrative and advertising charges.  All charges are levied as a lien against the property with and on a parity of taxes.