(a) A plaintiff is required by a preponderance of the evidence to establish that a nuisance exists. The plaintiff is required by clear and convincing evidence to establish that the owner of the property who is not a resident or in actual possession of the property was criminally culpable in aiding and abetting the nuisance.
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Terms Used In Alabama Code 6-5-160.3

  • Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
  • Continuance: Putting off of a hearing ot trial until a later time.
  • Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
  • Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • following: means next after. See Alabama Code 1-1-1
  • Injunction: An order of the court prohibiting (or compelling) the performance of a specific act to prevent irreparable damage or injury.
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit.
  • property: includes both real and personal property. See Alabama Code 1-1-1
  • state: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Alabama Code 1-1-1
(b) If the existence of a nuisance is found, the judgment may include actual damages and an injunction to restrain, abate, and prevent the continuance or recurrence of the nuisance. The court may grant declaratory relief, mandatory orders, or any other relief deemed necessary to accomplish the purposes of the injunction or order and enforce the judgment or order.
(c) The court may retain jurisdiction of the case for the purpose of enforcing its orders.
(d) If a nuisance is found, the court shall have additional power to fashion any one or more of the following remedies:

(1) Assess damages against the defendant in favor of each plaintiff of not less than three hundred dollars ($300) nor more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000).
(2) Assess costs of the action against the defendant.
(3) Assess reasonable attorney’s fees from the time of the filing of the complaint, payable to a private attorney filing the complaint or to the municipal, county, or state agency by which the prosecuting attorney is employed.
(4) When a government agency is a plaintiff in the action, assess a fine against the defendant of not less than five hundred dollars ($500) nor more than twenty thousand dollars ($20,000), in addition to attorney’s fees. All fines shall be paid into the general fund of the county if the plaintiff is the county governing body or a county government agency.
(5) Suspend or revoke any business, housing, or operational license.
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