condemnation
A government asserts its authority to take over a property or to demand its closing or demolition.
A property is legally condemned when a governmental body asserts its authority to take control of it, usually for purposes of land clearance or removal of unsafe or unwanted structures. The condemnation process usually means that a structure will be demolished, but this should also be listed as a separate event (proposal for demolition).
Condemnation can occur for various reasons: removal of unsafe structures; clearance of blight; urban renewal; or development of planned projects. The legal process may occur under rights of eminent domain, under safety codes, or under any other applicable law.
When a property is condemned, usually it effectively loses its occupancy permit. This is not necessarily irrevocable, but the structure must be fixed up or renovated in order to be used again.
Structures which are condemned are usually done so during their existence phase, but sometimes a structure will be condemned during its construction because of structural or safety flaws.
Related definitions
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controlled implosion
A structure is removed from its site or partly destroyed by a deliberate and sanctioned implosion or explosion. -
demolition approved
Government permission is granted for an actual plan to demolish a structure, rather than unrestricted permission alone. -
demolition begins
The first component is removed as part of a sanctioned process intended to dismantle a built object completely. -
demolition completed
Piece-by-piece demolition of a structure is completed with nothing left standing. -
demolition plans scrapped
A planned demolition is canceled before being carried out, leaving the object in existence. -
demolition proposed
A party with the legal right to do so first announces plans for a structure's destruction. -
demolition resumes
Systematic mechanical demolition starts again after an earlier demolition process was begun and halted. -
destroyed by damage
Damage completely destroys a structure, leaving it demolished rather than partly standing in ruins. -
destruction halted midway
Any kind of damage or demolition is halted with part of the structure still standing. -
facade re-used on other site
The facade of a demolished structure is moved to a new site and incorporated into another structure. -
facade re-used on same site
A new structure is completed on the same site, retaining the demolished structure's facade. -
replacement initiated
The identity of a structure on a site gives way to that of its replacement structure on the same site.