Jamestown, N.Y., Code of Ordinances ch. 215 § 215-76
Liens
Operative Text
A. Any and all expenses incurred pursuant to this chapter, regardless of and not requiring specific reference to this chapter, plus a fee of 20% for inspection and administrative overhead therewith, shall be certified by the Director of Development to the City Clerk/Treasurer and shall thereupon become and be a lien upon the property and shall be added to and become and form a part of the taxes next to be assessed and levied upon such lot or land and shall bear interest at the same rate as taxes and shall be collected and enforced by the same officer in the same manner as taxes levied and assessed against such property. B. The City Clerk/Treasurer shall notify the owner by first-class mail to the address on file with the taxing authority within 14 days of filing of the lien with the County Clerk. C. Except with respect to a lien proposed for expenses incurred in demolition, nothing herein shall be construed as placing a lien upon the property which has priority over the lien of any recorded mortgage or lien on such property executed and recorded prior to the existence of a lien herein authorized.
Under Jamestown, N.Y., Code of Ordinances ch. 215 § 215-76, when the city incurs expenses enforcing housing-related requirements, those costs—plus a 20% administrative and inspection surcharge—can be certified by the Director of Development and converted into a lien against the affected property. That lien is then folded into the property's tax assessment, accrues interest at the same rate as taxes, and is collected the same way taxes are. The property owner must be notified by first-class mail within 14 days of the lien being filed with the County Clerk, and except in demolition cases, the lien does not take priority over previously recorded mortgages or other prior liens.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Property owners subject to enforcement actions under ch. 215 § 215-76 should be aware that any city-incurred remediation or compliance costs, plus a 20% overhead fee, can be attached directly to their property as a tax lien without requiring a separate court judgment. Operators who stay current on code compliance and respond promptly to city notices generally avoid the accumulation of these costs. Keeping a current mailing address on file with the taxing authority is important, since that is the address the City Clerk/Treasurer uses to send the required 14-day lien notification.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Section 215-76 of Jamestown's Code of Ordinances establishes a mechanism that affects the financial standing of a rental property: if the city spends money to enforce housing standards and the owner does not reimburse those costs, a lien can be placed on the property and collected through the tax system. Tenants in properties with unresolved code violations may want to be aware that such liens can signal ongoing ownership or financial issues with a building. Tenant-rights organizations or a local housing authority can help tenants understand how enforcement actions under ch. 215 § 215-76 may relate to the condition or ownership status of their home.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated November 7, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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