Section 3781.031. Issuance of adjudication or stop work order

(A) Any department or agency of the state or any political subdivision that enforces Chapters 3781. and 3791. of the Revised Code or the rules adopted pursuant to those chapters, by any remedy, civil or criminal, shall issue an adjudication order within the meaning of sections 119.06 to 119.13 of the Revised Code, or a stop work order as provided in this section.

(B)

(1) Any person charged with enforcing Chapters 3781. and 3791. of the Revised Code or the rules or regulations adopted pursuant to those chapters may issue a stop work order whenever the person finds, after inspection, that the site preparations or structure to be constructed, or the installation of an industrialized unit, or the use of an appliance, material, assemblage, or manufactured product does not comply with Chapters 3781. and 3791. of the Revised Code or the rules adopted pursuant to those chapters. The effect of such an order shall be limited to the matter specified therein.

(2) Any adjudication order shall specify what appliances, site preparations, additions, or alterations to structures, plans, materials, assemblages, or procedures are necessary for compliance with Chapters 3781. and 3791. of the Revised Code.

(C) Upon the issuance of any order provided for in this section, the person receiving the order shall cease work upon the site preparations or structure to be constructed or the installation of an industrialized unit, or shall cease using the appliance, materials, assemblages, or manufactured product identified in the order until the appeal provided for in accordance with section 3781.19 of the Revised Code, and all appeals from the hearing have been completed, or the order issued has been released.

(D) Notwithstanding Chapter 119. of the Revised Code relating to adjudication hearings and proceedings , a stenographic or mechanical record of the testimony and other evidence submitted shall be taken at the expense of the agency. Any party adversely affected by an order issued following an adjudication hearing may appeal to the court of common pleas of the county in which the party is a resident or in which the premises affected by the order is located. The court shall not be confined to the record as certified to it by the agency but any party may produce additional evidence and the court shall hear the matter upon the record and additional evidence any party introduces. The court shall not affirm the agency's order unless the preponderance of the evidence before it supports the reasonableness and lawfulness of the order and any rule of the board of building standards upon which the order is based in its application to the particular set of facts or circumstances involved in the appeal.

(E) Failure to cease work after receiving a stop work order is hereby declared a public nuisance.

Effective Date: 09-14-1970; 05-27-2005