(a) The owner of any structure that has been foreclosed as defined in Section 1320.01 shall, within thirty (30) days after the structure first becomes vacant, within thirty (30) days of receiving notice that a structure is vacant, or within thirty (30) days after the effective date of this chapter, whichever is later, file a foreclosure form for each such structure with the City Planning Director or his/er designee on forms provided for such purposes. Any owner of a property which files a foreclosure action against said property, or for which a foreclosure action is pending, or a judgement of foreclosure has been issued shall, in addition to all other requirements of this section, provide a cash deposit to the City Planning Director or his designee, in the sum of not less than ten thousand dollars ($10,000.00), to secure the continued maintenance of the property throughout its vacancy and reimburse the City for any expenses incurred in inspecting, securing, repairing, maintaining and or making such building safe by any legal means including, but not limited to, demolition. A ten percent (10%) portion of said deposit shall be retained by the City as an Administrative Fee to fund an account for expenses incurred in managing said building and other buildings which are involved in the vacant and foreclosure process.
(b) Upon dismissal of the Foreclosure or sale of the property to a third party, the unspent remainder of the deposit and up to fifty percent (50%) of the Administrative Fee (Maximum $500) if not spent, shall be released back to the bank.
(c) The Foreclosure Form shall remain valid for one year from the date of registration. The registering party shall be required to annually renew the registration as long as the structure remains vacant and shall pay an annual registration fee of one hundred dollars ($100.00) for each residential structure; provided however, that all religious, educational, benevolent or charitable associations, and all government agencies shall be exempt from the payment of the annual registration fee. The registering party shall not be entitled to a refund of all or any part of the registration fee should the structure no longer be deemed vacant during the annual registration period.
(d) The owner shall notify the City Planning Director or his designee within twenty (20) days of any change in registration information by filing an amended registration statement on a form provided for such purposes. The registration statement shall be deemed prima fascia proof of the statements therein presented in any enforcement proceeding through the City Housing Appeals Board or Court action instituted against the owner of the structure. An owner shall be liable under this section for failing to register a vacant structure, paying an appropriate annual registration fee, or timely updating any change in registration.
(Ord. 38, 2015. Passed 8-3-15.)