15.50.050 Investigation, complaint, notice and administrative hearing.
A. The building official may investigate any building or premises which the building official believes to be unfit for human habitation or other use. If the investigation reveals conditions that make the building or premises unfit for human habitation or other use, the building official shall:
1. Issue a complaint stating the conditions that make the building or premises unfit for human habitation or other use; and
2. Serve the complaint by personal service, registered mail, or certified mail with return receipt requested, upon all persons who appear on a litigation guarantee from a licensed title insurance company as having any ownership interest in the building or premises; and
3. Post the complaint in a place on the property conspicuous to persons entering the structure and if practical conspicuous from an abutting public right-of- way.
B. No complaint shall be issued if a permit has been issued for all repairs, alterations, and improvements required to make the building or premises fit for human habitation or other use, and the repair work, in the building official's opinion, is progressing at a satisfactory rate. For the purposes of this sub-section, the building official may require as a condition of issuing a permit for that the applicant provide a written and signed, mutually agreed-upon schedule for the completion of the work.
C. If the address of the persons appearing on the litigation guarantee identified in subparagraph A cannot be ascertained by the building official after a reasonable search, then the building official shall make affidavit to that effect, and the complaint shall be served either by personal service or by mailing a copy of the complaint by certified mail, postage prepaid, return receipt requested, to the address appearing on the last equalized tax assessment roll of the County Assessor and to any other address known to the County Assessor. Each person whose address cannot be ascertained shall be mailed a copy of the complaint at the address of the building or premises involved in the proceedings. In addition to serving and posting the complaint, the building official shall mail or cause to be delivered to all housing and commercial rental units in the building or on the premises a copy of the complaint.
D. The complaint shall state that an administrative hearing will be held before the building official at a specified time and place, not less than ten (10) days nor more than thirty (30) days after service of the complaint; and that all persons having any legal interest in the property shall have the right to provide a written response prior to the hearing and to appear in person or by representative at the time and place fixed in the complaint. The rules of evidence shall not apply in administrative hearings before the building official. At the hearing the building official shall receive and consider all information provided, including proposals for the occupation, vacation, repair or demolition of the property. The building official shall consider issuance of a consent order for the necessary repairs and may continue the date of the administrative hearing to provide interested persons additional time to propose detailed repair schedules or other information to be used in making the building official’s determination under Section 15.50.070.
E. A copy of the complaint shall be filed for public record with the Grays Harbor County Auditor.