MS HB545

Authorizes county boards of supervisors to conduct hearings on their own motion or upon petition by majority of nearby residents to determine if property is a menace to public health and safety.

Requires notice to property owners via United States mail two weeks before hearing and by posting notice on the property and at the courthouse for at least two weeks.

Allows boards to clean property adjudicated as a menace by cutting weeds, removing rubbish and debris, filling cisterns, and draining standing water, with costs becoming a lien against the property.

Permits counties to reenter property up to six times per year for structural cleanup and up to twelve times per year for grass/weed cutting without additional hearings, with annual expenses capped at $20,000 or fair market value after cleaning, whichever is less.

Authorizes boards to impose penalties up to $1,500 or 50 percent of actual cleanup costs, whichever is greater, and allows tax collectors to sell property to satisfy the lien similar to delinquent tax sales with redemption rights.