Sunset Beach condemns home, will charge owner for repairs

SUNSET BEACH, NC (WWAY) — The Town of Sunset Beach is taking formal steps to repair a long-troubled property at 429 4th Street after the homeowner failed to meet a court-ordered deadline to bring the dwelling up to minimum housing standards.

At its May 14 meeting, the Sunset Beach Town Council passed an ordinance directing the town’s housing inspector to proceed with repairs to bring the structure into compliance. Under state law and the town’s code, the costs of those repairs would be charged as a lien against the property.

According to town documents, the property has been under code enforcement since September 2024. After repeated unsuccessful attempts to inspect the interior of the home with the owners, the town obtained an administrative inspection warrant and entered the home on Nov. 20, 2024. A housing inspector found the residence to be noncompliant with town ordinances and North Carolina housing laws.

Following a housing standards hearing on Dec. 18, 2024 — during which property owner David E. Grimes Jr. appeared and presented his case — the town issued a formal order declaring the structure uninhabitable. The order mandated that the dwelling remain unoccupied until extensive repairs were completed. A deadline of May 5, 2025, was set for compliance.

While some work has been done on the property, including installation of a new roof and interior demolition, town officials say the repairs fall far short of what is required under the order. The home remains unfit for occupancy.

“The Minimum Housing Ordinance defines 90 days as a reasonable amount of time to complete repairs,” the town stated in a letter. “This order provided 139 days. The time for an appeal has long since expired, and the required repairs have not been completed.”

The exterior of the property is also involved in a pending lawsuit in Brunswick County Superior Court.