(A) General requirements. Vacant properties within the city shall be subject to the following registration requirements.
(1) Register the building with the Building Department on a form provided and pay the designated semi-annual non-prorated vacant building registration fee. The form shall include, as a minimum, the name, street address and telephone number of the owner; the case name and number of any litigation pending concerning or affecting the building, including bankruptcy cases; and the name, street address and telephone number of all persons with any legal interest in the building or the premises. The form shall require the owner to identify a natural person at least 21 years of age who maintains a permanent address in the county to accept 24-hour service on behalf of the owner with respect to any notices the Building Commissioner sends pursuant to this chapter or service of process in any proceeding commenced to enforce any provision of this chapter, and file with the city on the registration form, the name, address, telephone number of said person. A street address is required. A post office box is not an acceptable address.
(2) Renew the vacant building registration on April 1 and October 1 of each year for the remainder of the time the building remains vacant and pay the required designated semi-annual fee.
(3) Require the owner to indicate his or her “acceptance of notice by posting” consenting to service of notices sent or required to be sent, pursuant to this chapter, by posting on the building if the owner fails to renew the registration.
(4) File an amended registration within 15 days of any change in the information contained in the annual registration. A new registration is required for any change in ownership whatsoever.
(5) Registration does not exonerate the owner from compliance with all applicable codes and ordinances, nor does it preclude any of the actions the city is authorized to take pursuant to this chapter or elsewhere in the municipal code.
(B) Semi-annual fees.
(1) The semi-annual registration fees shall be: $400 for single-family residential property; $450 for multi-family residential or commercial properties; $500 for industrial properties.
(2) The owner shall be charged an additional fee on the subsequent renewal periods in which any vacant property is in violation of any provision of the city code. Such fee shall be $100 for single-family residential properties; $200 for multi- family residential or commercial properties; and $300 for industrial properties.
(3) Owners of single-family residences shall be exempt from the additional fee if the owner demonstrates, to the satisfaction of the Building Department, that at the time of renewal the building is in full compliance with city codes.
(4) For the purposes of this section, the determination of whether a property is classified as single-family residence, multi-family residence, commercial or industrial may be based upon the property zoning designation or the use and occupancy of the property. Such determination shall be at the discretion of the Building Department and be based upon the applicable city codes.
(5) Upon payment of the semi-annual fee, there shall be no additional inspection fee related to the registration.
(Prior Code, § 165.26) (Ord. 11-141, passed 8-23-2011; Ord. 2016-004, passed 2-23-2016)