(a) A person commits an offense if the person owns or operates a vacant building in the central business district without a valid certificate of registration. A separate certificate of registration is required for each street address at which any vacant building is located in the central business district, regardless of any separate occupied buildings that may also be located at the same street address. If more than one vacant building in the central business district is located at the same street address, only one certificate of registration is required for all of the vacant buildings. Also, only one certificate of registration is required for a single vacant building in the central business district that has more than one street address. Suite numbers and apartment unit numbers will not be considered in determining the street address of a vacant building.
(b) It is a defense to prosecution under this section that:
(1) the building was occupied within the 45-day period preceding the date of the alleged offense;
(2) at the time of the alleged offense, the building was in the process of being renovated, rehabilitated, repaired, or demolished (pursuant to appropriate and valid permits issued by the building official, if required) and had been occupied within the 90-day period preceding the date of the alleged offense;
(3) at the time of the alleged offense, the building was in the process of being actively marketed and advertised for lease or sale and had been occupied within the 90-day period preceding the date of the alleged offense;
(4) within the 90-day period preceding the date of the alleged offense, the building suffered damage or destruction from a fire, flood, storm, or similar event that rendered the building incapable of being occupied, except that this defense does not apply if the building was rendered incapable of being occupied by the intentional act of the owner, operator, lessee, or other invitee or an agent of the owner, operator, lessee, or other invitee; or
(5) the building was owned by the city of Dallas, the State of Texas, or the United States government. (Ord. Nos. 27248; 32145)