(a) No corporation, partnership, limited liability company or other business entity, whether domestic or foreign, shall buy, own, sell, or transfer real property in the City of Maple Heights without filing articles of incorporation and identifying a statutory agent, filing articles of organization and identifying a statutory agent or being licensed by the Ohio Secretary of State and identifying a statutory agent in accordance with Ohio R.C. Chapters 1701, 1702, 1703, and 1705.
(b) No officer of a corporation, partnership, limited-liability company or any other business entity shall transact business to buy, own, sell, or transfer real property in the City of Maple Heights unless the business entity has filed articles of incorporation and identified a statutory agent, filed articles of organization and identified a statutory agent, or been licensed by the Ohio Secretary of State and identified a statutory agent in accordance with Ohio R.C. Chapters 1701, 1702, 1703, and 1705.
(c) Any corporation, partnership, limited-liability company or any other business entity or officer who fails to comply with the requirements of divisions (a) and (b) of this section is in violation of this chapter and shall be charged as an organization of individual with a first degree misdemeanor. Each property bought, owned, sold, or transferred by a business entity that is not in compliance with these requirements is a separate violation.
(d) The imposition of the penalty provided in Section 1440.99 or any other penalty provided for in the Property Maintenance Code shall not preclude the Director of Law from instituting an appropriate action or proceeding in a court of proper jurisdiction to prevent an unlawful repair or maintenance, to restrain, correct or abate a violation, to prevent the occupancy of a building, structure or premises, or to require compliance with this Code or other applicable laws, ordinances, rules or regulations, or the orders or determinations of the Building Official, Director of Safety or the Planning and Zoning Commission.
(Ord. 2014-16. Passed 3-5-14.)