441.500.  Definitions. — As used in sections 441.500 to 441.643, the following terms mean:

  (1)  "Abatement", the removal or correction, including demolition, of any condition at a property that violates the provisions of any duly enacted building or housing code, as well as the making of such other improvements or corrections as are needed to effect the rehabilitation of the property or structure, including the closing or physical securing of the structure;

  (2)  "Agent", a person authorized by an owner to act for him;

  (3)  "Code enforcement agency", the official, agency, or board that has been delegated the responsibility for enforcing the housing code by the governing body;

  (4)  "Community", any county or municipality;

  (5)  "County", any county in the state;

  (6)  "Dwelling unit", premises or part thereof occupied, used, or held out for use and occupancy as a place of abode for human beings, whether occupied or vacant;

  (7)  "Governing body", the board, body or persons in which the powers of a community are vested;

  (8)  "Housing code", a local building, fire, health, property maintenance, nuisance or other ordinance which contains standards regulating the condition or maintenance of residential buildings;

  (9)  "Local housing corporation", a not-for-profit corporation organized pursuant to the laws of the state of Missouri for the purpose of promoting housing development and conservation within a specified area of a municipality or an unincorporated area;

  (10)  "Municipality", any incorporated city, town, or village;

  (11)  "Neighborhood association", any group of persons organized for the sole purpose of improvement of a particular geographic area having specific boundaries within a municipality, provided that such association is recognized by the municipality as the sole association for such purpose within such geographic area;

  (12)  "Notice of deficiency", a notice or other order issued by the code enforcement agency and requiring the elimination or removal of deficiencies found to exist under the housing code;

  (13)  "Nuisance", a violation of provisions of the housing code applying to the maintenance of the buildings or dwellings which the code official in the exercise of reasonable discretion believes constitutes a threat to the public health, safety or welfare;

  (14)  "Occupant", any person lawfully occupying a dwelling unit as his or her place of residence, either as a tenant or a lessee, whether or not that person is occupying the dwelling unit as a tenant from month to month or under a written lease, undertaking or other agreement;

  (15)  "Owner", the record owner or owners, and the beneficial owner or owners when other than the record owner, of the freehold of the premises or lesser estate therein, a mortgagee or vendee in possession, assignee of rents, receiver, personal representative, trustee, lessee, agent, or any other person in control of a dwelling unit;

  (16)  "Person", any individual, corporation, association, partnership, or other entity.