"Being out of code" isn't always a result of deterioration or neglect; sometimes it's just a matter of the code changing. Structures built in the 1950s may not have, for example, ADA-compliant accessible restrooms, though the restrooms may be perfectly usable. But putting in something as simple as a wheelchair ramp at the front door might require also remodeling every single restroom in the building to be ADA-compliant.
I've seen half a dozen small religious groups go through this sort of problem -- because they can't afford to make the church/synagogue/etc completely accessible, they aren't able to make incremental improvements. The buildings remain perfectly functional and well maintained and retain all of their value, except in the eyes of the one guy in a wheelchair who can't get a ramp put in because his church can't afford to drop 15 grand on all the other not-very-useful-but-required stuff.
Relating this back to code: if you have a policy that requires any old code must be brought up to new standards any time it's touched, then there are at least some occasions in which someone could have made a useful incremental improvement, but is stopped by a stupid policy decision that would saddle them with burdensome work. The net result is that small, high-value fixes get put off because of large, low-value busy work.
I've seen half a dozen small religious groups go through this sort of problem -- because they can't afford to make the church/synagogue/etc completely accessible, they aren't able to make incremental improvements. The buildings remain perfectly functional and well maintained and retain all of their value, except in the eyes of the one guy in a wheelchair who can't get a ramp put in because his church can't afford to drop 15 grand on all the other not-very-useful-but-required stuff.
Relating this back to code: if you have a policy that requires any old code must be brought up to new standards any time it's touched, then there are at least some occasions in which someone could have made a useful incremental improvement, but is stopped by a stupid policy decision that would saddle them with burdensome work. The net result is that small, high-value fixes get put off because of large, low-value busy work.