Delaware Code
Chapter 71. CRIMINAL NUISANCE ABATEMENT
§ 7113. Permanent abatement for all criminal nuisance actions; hearing; admissible evidence.

(a) An action, when brought under this chapter, shall be noticed for trial at a time to be fixed by the Superior Court.
(b) In the action evidence of the general reputation of the place, or an admission, or finding of guilt of any person under the criminal laws at any such place, shall be admissible for the purpose of proving the existence of the criminal nuisance, and shall be prima facie evidence of such criminal nuisance and of knowledge of and of acquiescence and participation therein on the part of the person charged with maintaining the criminal nuisance as defined in this chapter.
(c) If the existence of the criminal nuisance is established upon the trial, the Court shall grant permanent abatement relief which perpetually prohibits the defendants and any other person from further maintaining the criminal nuisance at the place complained of, and the defendants from maintaining such criminal nuisance elsewhere within the State and shall issue such other orders as are necessary to abate the criminal nuisance and to prevent to the extent reasonably possible the recurrence of the criminal nuisance. The Court's order may include, but need not be limited to all of the following:

(1) Directing the sheriff or other appropriate agency to seize and remove from the premises all material, equipment and instrumentalities used in the creation and maintenance of the criminal nuisance, and directing the sheriff to sell the property in the manner provided for the sale of property under execution in accordance with the general rules of civil procedure. The net proceeds of any such sale, after the deduction of all lawful expenses involved, shall be paid pursuant to § 7114 of this title.
(2) Authorizing the plaintiffs, subsequent to an order granting plaintiffs the right to seize the property in question, to make repairs, renovations and construction and structural alterations or to take such other actions necessary to bring the premises into compliance with all applicable housing, fire, zoning, health and safety codes, ordinances, rules, regulations or statutes. Such repairs, renovations or construction shall only be undertaken after the appropriate regulatory agency has first inspected the property in question, determined that code, ordinance or statutory violations exist and has reported same to the Court. If no order of seizure is granted and the owner or owners of the property remain in possession, the Court may order said owner or owners to make the appropriate repairs as set forth herein following the inspection and determination of violations by the appropriate regulatory agency. Expenditures by the plaintiffs pursuant to this paragraph may be filed as a lien against the property.
(3) Directing the closing of the premises, or appropriate portion thereof, to the extent necessary to abate the criminal nuisance, and directing the officer or agency enforcing the closure order to post a copy of the judgment and a printed notice of such closing order conforming to the requirements of § 7111 of this title. The closing directed by the judgment shall be for such a period of time as the Court may direct but, subject to the provisions of § 7121 of this title, shall not be for a period of more than 1 year from the posting of the judgment provided for in this subsection.
(4) Suspending or revoking any business, operational, rental or liquor license.
(5) Suspending or revoking any lease.
(6) Ordering the suspension of any state, city or local governmental subsidies payable to the owners of the property, such as tenant assistance payments to landlords, until the criminal nuisance is satisfactorily abated.
(7) Appointing a temporary receiver to manage or operate the premises for such a time as the Court deems necessary to abate the nuisance. A receiver appointed pursuant to this section shall have such powers and duties as the Court shall direct, including but not limited to:

a. Collecting, holding and dispersing the proceeds of all rents from all tenants;
b. Leasing or renting portions of the premises involved;
c. Making or authorizing other persons to make necessary repairs or to maintain the property;
d. Hiring security or other personnel necessary for the safe and proper operation of the premises;
e. Retaining counsel to prosecute or defend suits arising from his or her management of the premises;
f. Bringing actions for summary possession of any premises; and
g. Expending funds from the collected rents in furtherance of the foregoing powers.
(8) A receiver appointed by the Court pursuant to this section or § 7111 of this title shall upon entering upon his or her duties be sworn and shall affirm faithfully and fairly to discharge the trust committed to him or her. In addition, the receiver may be required to post a bond in an amount to be fixed by the Court making the appointment, to ensure that such receiver will faithfully discharge his or her duties.
(9) If the existence of a criminal nuisance as defined in this chapter is admitted or established in an action under this chapter, the Court may, in addition to the aforementioned remedies or sanctions, order the removal from the place of the criminal nuisance all personal property and contents used in conducting the criminal nuisance and not already released under authority of the Court as provided in § 7111 of this title, and shall further direct the sale of such thereof as belong to the defendants notified or appearing, in the manner provided for the sale of chattels under execution.
(d) Owners of unsold personal property and contents so seized must appear and claim same within 10 days after such order of abatement is made. The burden shall be on the owner to show, to the satisfaction of the Court, lack of any knowledge of the use thereof, and that with reasonable care and diligence they could not have known thereof. Every defendant in the action shall be presumed to have had knowledge of the general reputation of the place. If such innocence be so established, such unsold personal property and contents shall be delivered to the owner; otherwise it shall be sold as provided in this chapter.
(e) If any person breaks and enters, or uses a place so directed to be closed, that person shall be punished as for contempt as provided in this chapter.
(f) For removing and selling the personal property and contents, the officer shall be entitled to charge and receive the same fees as that officer would for levying upon and selling like property on execution, and for closing the place and keeping it closed, a reasonable sum shall be allowed by the Court.
(g) The Court may impose any or all of the foregoing remedies in combination with each other.