CO Code § 25-1-518 (2021)
2021 Colorado Code|Title 25 - Public Health and Environment|Article 1 - Administration|Part 5 - Public Health|§ 25-1-518. Nuisances

  Removal of nuisances. The county or district board of health shall examine all nuisances, sources of filth, and causes of sickness, which, in its opinion, may be injurious to the health of the inhabitants, within its town, city, county, city and county, or district, and it shall destroy, remove, or prevent the nuisance, source of filth, or cause of sickness, as the case may require.    Unhealthy premises cleaned - structures removed. If any cellar, vault, lot, sewer, drain, place, or premises within any city is damp, unwholesome, offensive, or filthy, or is covered for any portion of the year with stagnant or impure water, or is in a condition as to produce unwholesome or offensive exhalations, the county or district board of health may cause the area to be drained, filled up, cleaned, amended, or purified; or may require the owner or occupant or person in charge of the lot, premises, or place to perform such duty; or may cause the removal to be done by the proper officers of the city.    Expense for abating nuisance. If any person or company neglects to remove or abate any nuisance or to perform any requirement made by or in accordance with any ordinance or resolution of the county or district board of health for the protection of the health of the inhabitants and if any expense is incurred by the board in removing or abating the nuisance or in causing such duty or requirement to be performed, such expense may be recovered by the board in an action against such person or company. In all cases where the board incurs any expense for draining, filling, cleaning, or purifying any lot, place, or premises, or for removing or abating any nuisance found upon such lot or premises, the board, in addition to all other remedies, may provide for the recovery of such expense, charge the same or such part thereof as it deems proper to the lot or premises upon or on account of which such expense was incurred or from which such nuisance was removed or abated, and cause the same to be assessed upon such lot or premises and collected as a special assessment.    Removal of nuisance on private property - penalty. Whenever any nuisance, source of filth, or cause of sickness is found on private property, the county or district board of health shall order the owner or occupant or the person who has caused or permitted such nuisance, at his or her own expense, to remove the same within twenty-four hours. In default thereof, he or she shall forfeit a sum not to exceed one hundred dollars at the suit of the board of county commissioners of the proper county or the board of the proper city, town, or village for the use of the county or district board of health of the city or town where the nuisance is found.    Board to remove - when. If the owner or occupant does not comply with an order of the county or district board of health, the board may cause the nuisance, source of filth, or cause of sickness to be removed, and all expense incurred thereby shall be paid by the owner or occupant or by such other person who has caused or permitted the nuisance, source of filth, or cause of sickness.    Conviction - nuisance to be abated. Whenever any person is convicted of maintaining a nuisance that may be injurious to the public health, the court, in its discretion, may order the nuisance abated, removed, or destroyed at the expense of the defendant under the direction of the county or district board of health of the town, city, county, or district where the nuisance is found, and the form of the warrant to the sheriff or other officer may be varied accordingly.    Stay warrant of conviction. The court, on the application of the defendant, may order a stay of a warrant issued pursuant to subsection (6) of this section for such time as may be necessary, not exceeding six months, to give the defendant an opportunity to remove the nuisance upon giving satisfactory security to do so within the time specified in the order.    Expense of abating. The expense of abating and removing the nuisance pursuant to a warrant issued pursuant to subsection (6) of this section shall be collected by the officer in the same manner as damages and costs are collected upon execution; except that the materials of any buildings, fences, or other things that may be removed as a nuisance may be sold by the officer in like manner as goods are sold on execution for the payment of debts. The officer may apply the proceeds of the sale to defray the expenses of the removal and shall pay over the balance thereof, if any, to the defendant upon demand. If the proceeds of the sale are not sufficient to defray the expenses incurred pursuant to this subsection (8), the sheriff shall collect the residue thereof as provided in subsection (3) of this section.    Refusal of admittance to premises.   Whenever a county or district board of health finds it necessary for the preservation of the lives or health of the inhabitants to enter any building, car, or train of cars in its town, city, county, or district for the purpose of examining and abating, removing, or preventing any nuisance, source of filth, or cause of sickness and is refused entry, any member of the board may make complaint under oath to the county court of his or her county stating the facts of the case as far as he or she has knowledge thereof.    The court may thereupon issue a warrant directed to the sheriff commanding him or her to take sufficient aid and, being accompanied by any two or more members of the county or district board of health, during daylight hours, to return to the place where the nuisance, source of filth, or cause of sickness complained of may be and destroy, remove, or prevent the nuisance, source of filth, cause of sickness, or danger to life or limb under the direction of the members of the board of health.       Damages occasioned by nuisance - action. Any person injured either in his or her comfort or in the enjoyment of his or her estate by any nuisance may have an action for damages sustained thereby.     History. Source: L. 2008: Entire part R&RE, p. 2049, § 1, effective July 1. L. 2009: (1) amended,(SB 09-292), ch. 369, p. 1970, § 83, effective August 5.    Editor's note:   The provisions of this section are similar to provisions of several former sections as they existed prior to 2008. For a detailed comparison, see the comparative tables located in the back of the index.   ANNOTATION   Annotator's note. Since § 25-1-518 is similar to § 25-1-613 as it existed prior to the 2008 repeal and reenactment of this part 5, relevant cases construing that provision have been included in the annotations to this section.   Only nuisances per se may be removed or abated summarily. City of Denver v. Mullen, 7 Colo. 345 , 3 P. 693 (1884).   Compensation required for property mistakenly destroyed as nuisance. If property is destroyed under a mistaken belief that it is a nuisance, when in fact it is not a nuisance, it is taken for a public use, and the loss to the owner should be made good. McMahon v. City of Telluride, 79 Colo. 281 , 244 P. 1017 (1926).