§ 9-303. Definitions.

(a)

The following terms, wherever used herein or referred to in this article, shall have the respective meanings assigned to them unless a different meaning clearly appears from the context.

Building - A structure which encloses space; a structure which gives protection or shelter for any occupancy. The term "building" shall be construed as if followed by the phrase "or part thereof." When separated by firewalls, each portion so separated shall be deemed a separate building.

City - The City of Fort Lauderdale, Florida,

Code - The Code of Ordinances of the City of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, including the ULDR.

Commercial business or establishment - Any place, building and enterprise, including hotels and motels, devoted in whole or in part to a business enterprise whether nonprofit or profit-making in nature.

Deterioration - The condition or appearance of a structure or part thereof, characterized by holes, breaks, rot, crumbling, peeling, rusting, spalling, or other evidence of physical decay or neglect, excessive use or lack of maintenance, or any combination thereof.

Director - The director, division head or manager of the enforcing agency or a duly authorized designee.

Duplex - A single building structure consisting of two residential units either side by side or one over another.

Enforcing agency - The City of Fort Lauderdale.

Enforcing officer - Any employee of the enforcing agency charged with the responsibility of making inspections of buildings and premises and issuing violation notices when necessary. The term shall be synonymous with inspection officer.

Exposed to public view - Any structure or any part thereof, or any building or any part thereof, which may be visible to or lawfully viewed by any member of the public from a sidewalk, street alleyway, public way, licensed open air parking lot or from any adjoining or neighboring premises.

Exterior of the premises - Those portions of a building or structure which are exposed to public view and the open space of any premises outside of any building or structure erected thereon.

Graffiti - Any inscription, word, figure, painting or other defacement that is written, marked, etched, scratched, sprayed, drawn, painted, or engraved on or otherwise affixed to any surface of public or private property to the extent that the graffiti was not authorized in advance by the owner or occupant of the property.

Multifamily - Any building or group of buildings designed for occupancy by three (3) or more families, including a duplex, when said duplex is part of a rental facility which consists of a duplex and one or more multifamily buildings.

Nuisance - The existence of excessive accumulation or untended growth of weeds, undergrowth or other dead or living plant life, or stagnant water, rubbish, debris, or trash, including any wrecked, derelict or partially dismantled motor vehicle, trailer, boat, machinery, refrigerator, washing machine, plumbing fixture, furniture or similar article, and all other objectionable, unsightly or unsanitary matter upon any property within this city to the extent and in the manner that such property is or may reasonably become infested or inhabited by rodents, vermin or wild animals, or may furnish a breeding place for mosquitoes, or threatens or endangers the public health, safety or welfare, or may reasonably cause disease, or adversely affects and impairs the economic welfare of adjacent property.

Operator/occupant - A person with legal interest in premises or in responsible charge of premises.

Person - Includes individuals, children, firms, associations, joint adventures, partnerships, estates, trusts, business trusts, syndicates, fiduciaries, corporations, and all other groups or combinations.

Place of business - Any building, structure, yard, lot, premises or part thereof or any other place in which one (1) or more persons are engaged in gainful employment.

Property - Any real property interest or estate which may be granted by deed. The word "property" includes tracts, lots, easements, or parcels of land and any and all improvements thereon.

Refuse - Solid waste consisting of both combustible and noncombustible waste, such as paper, wrappings, discarded cigarettes, used cardboard, used cans, yard clippings, leaves, scrap wood, discarded glass, discarded bedding, broken crockery, home appliances and other similar materials.

Residential building or structure - Any building occupied, or intended to be occupied as a dwelling for residential use by one or more persons, including but not limited to single-family, duplex, townhouse or multifamily dwelling.

Street or right-of-way - Public thoroughfare such as, but not limited to, street, avenue, lane, place, terrace and road, and which is more than twenty (20) feet in width and dedicated or deeded to the public for public use.

Single-family - Any single-family structure which may include a duplex or townhouse.

Solid waste - Useless, unwanted or discarded solid material with insufficient liquid content to be free flowing, including, but not limited to, any and all bulk trash, commercial trash, rubbish, building materials, garbage, household trash, commercial and industrial waste, litter, refuse, scrap materials, white goods, boat parts, car parts, junk, trailer parts, furniture, tree trimmings, yardwaste, construction debris, demolition debris or any other similar solid material or waste that is unwanted or discarded or surrendered for collection disposal, but shall not include sludge from air or water pollution control facilities, septic tank sludge or agricultural waste.

Structure - Is that which is built or constructed, or any piece of work artificially built up or composed of parts jointed together in some definite manner, the use of which requires more or less permanent location on the ground, or which is attached to something having a permanent location on the ground. The term shall be construed as followed by the words "or part thereof."

Townhouse - A single-family dwelling unit constructed in a series or group of attached units with a property line separating such units.

ULDR - The Unified Land Development Regulations of the City of Fort Lauderdale as defined in the ULDR.

Vacant or unoccupied building - Any building or other structure which is neither occupied nor used by persons authorized by the owner of the property on which such building or structure is located, or where utility services have been terminated.

Weathering - Deterioration, decay or damage caused by exposure to the elements.

(b)

Whenever any words are used in this article they shall be construed, unless expressly stated to the contrary, to include the plurals of those words and as if they were followed by the words "or any part thereof." The word "shall" shall be applied retroactively as well as prospectively.

(Ord. No. C-89-31, § 2(48-53), 4-18-89; Ord. No. C-93-12, § 3, 2-16-93; Ord. No. C-99-70, § 3, 12-21-99)