(A) Upon the effective date of this chapter, the Director shall evaluate all buildings within the city he/she believes to be unoccupied and make a determination for each as to whether the building is a vacant building within the meaning of this chapter. For any building the Director determines to be a vacant building, he/she shall, within 90 days of making that determination, send notice of the written determination with the factual findings to the last taxpayer of record listed on the public tax records for the property. This notice of determination shall be sent first class United States mail, proper postage prepaid. The Director may determine that a building which meets any of the criteria set forth in this chapter is not to be regulated under this chapter for a stated period, if upon consideration of reliable, substantiated and sufficient evidence he/she determines that regulation of the building under this chapter would not serve the public health, welfare, and safety and makes written findings in support of any such decision.
(B) The notice will inform the owner that the Director will conduct a code compliance inspection of the exterior of the vacant building to determine the extent of compliance with the health, safety and welfare requirements of the City Code. If the Director suspects a nuisance, safety hazard, or any violations of the interior maintenance standards stated in this chapter during the exterior inspection, he/she may order an inspection of the interior of the vacant building to determine the extent of compliance with the health, safety, and welfare requirements of the City Code. The owner shall then pay a $300 interior inspection fee to the city within 30 days of the inspection. The owner shall be subject to an additional fine of $100 if the owner does not provide access within 30 days of the receipt of the interior inspection notice. An unpaid fee shall be a lien upon the premises. If the owner of the vacant structure fails or refuses to consent to an inspection, the Director may seek an administrative warrant from the circuit court of Cook County for the purposes set forth in this chapter. The Mayor may require the owner to appear for a hearing to present their appeal of the Director's determination.
(C) The notice shall contain a statement of the obligations of the owner of a building determined to be a vacant building, a copy of the registration form the owner is required to file, and a notice of the owner's right to appeal the Director's determination.
(Ord. 20-31, passed 5-26-2020; Ord. 23-06, passed 3-14-2023)