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DRAFT FOR ATTORNEY REVIEW — NOT FINAL

King v. Moorehead, 495 S.W.2d 65 (1973)

Citation
King v. Moorehead, 495 S.W.2d 65 (1973)
Parent Document
King v. Moorehead, 495 S.W.2d 65 (1973)
Jurisdiction
Missouri (state)
Effective Date
1973-04-02

Other Sections in This Document (163)

Full Text

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The earliest housing codes, adopted at the turn of the century were exercises in paternalism. They were aimed not at habitability but at preventing tenements from becoming sources of communicable disease. The sanction for non-compliance was a benign vacate order. If a building became so dilapidated as to be unfit for occupancy, the code enforcement agency condemned the building and forced the tenants to move. This procedure was followed during the period of favorable "vacancy ratio", when a dispossessed tenant could readily find other accommodations.[13] The serious housing shortage brought about by the influx of population to the cities, spurred by rapid industrial growth, resulted in the elimination of the vacate order. As a consequence, housing codes adopted stricter requirements of habitability and repair with provision for criminal prosecution of violators.[14]