§ 58-79-20. Inspection of premises; dangerous material removed.
§58‑79‑20. Inspection of premises; dangerous material removed.
The Commissioner of Insurance,or the chief of fire department or chief of police where there is no chief offire department, or the city or county building inspector, electricalinspector, heating inspector, or fire prevention inspector has the right at allreasonable hours, for the purpose of examination, to enter into and upon allbuildings and premises in their jurisdiction. When any of such officers find inany building or upon any premises overcrowding in violation of occupancy limitsestablished pursuant to the North Carolina State Building Code, combustiblematerial or inflammable conditions dangerous to the safety of such building orpremises they shall order the same to be removed or remedied, and this ordershall be forthwith complied with by the owner or occupant of such buildings orpremises. The owner or occupant may, within twenty‑four hours, appeal tothe Commissioner of Insurance from the order, and the cause of the complaint shallbe at once investigated by his direction, and unless by his authority the orderof the officer above named is revoked it remains in force and must be forthwithcomplied with by the owner or occupant. The Commissioner of Insurance, firechief, or building inspector, electrical inspector, heating inspector, or fireprevention inspector shall make an immediate investigation as to the presenceof combustible material or the existence of inflammable conditions in anybuilding or upon any premises under their jurisdiction upon complaint of anyperson having an interest in such building or premises or property adjacentthereto. The Commissioner may, in person or by deputy, visit any municipalityor county and make such inspections alone or in company with the local officer.The Commissioner shall submit annually, as early as consistent with full andaccurate preparation, and not later than the first day of June, a detailedreport of his official action under this Article, and it shall be embodied inhis report to the General Assembly. (1899, c. 58, s. 4; 1901, c.387, s. 4; 1903, c. 719; Rev., s. 4821; C.S., s. 6077; 1943, c. 170; 1969, c.1063, s. 3; 1977, c. 596, s. 4; 1985, c. 576, s. 2.)