The Board-up Program is designed to secure any vacant structure that is open to unlawful entry as defined by Kansas City code of ordinances, Section 48-31.
Procedure
Any property that is inspected and is found to be open to unauthorized or unlawful entry will be processed according to the following emergency procedure (currently, all structures open to entry are considered an emergency situation by the City):
- Notice is sent to the owner by mail, phone, and posting the property, giving them 24 hours to board up or otherwise secure the property;
- If the condition is not corrected in that time, the City will have a contractor secure the building immediately;
- The cost of hiring the contractor, plus an administrative fee, will be assessed as a lien against the property;
- A special tax bill will be issued and considered a personal debt of the property owner, as authorized by Chapter 48 and 56 of the code of ordinances;
- Failure to secure an open building within the allotted time may also result in prosecution of the property owner.
Expedited procedure
An expedited board-up may be requested by the Police Department, Fire Department or by an agent of the county in which the board-up would occur. It must be determined that the structure is an immediate threat to the public's safety, health and welfare.
When an emergency board-up is deemed necessary, the same procedures as above will apply, except that the time frame for compliance is reduced to 2 hours. All reasonable efforts are used to obtain compliance from the property owner before a contractor is employed; this includes use of the vacant/rental property registration databases and registered agents found therein, as well as county property records and prior cases involving the same owner. However the city's primary responsibility is to prevent injury or further damage, and will board the property promptly if the owner or their agent does not secure the structure themselves.
If you know of a structure that is open to entry, please report this condition to the 3-1-1 Action Center. For more information about the Board-up Program, contact:
Shockey Franciscus
Program supervisor
(816) 784-4020
E-mail: Shockey_Franciscus@kcmo.org
