Any owner who is served a notice of vacant property registration may, within fifteen consecutive days of receipt of such notice, apply for an exemption by filing a written application with the Community Development Director who shall provide a determination within fifteen working days after receipt of all necessary forms and documents.
(a) A vacant building under active construction/renovation and having a valid building permit(s) at the time of initial inspection shall be exempt from registration until the expiration of the longest running, currently active building permit.
(b) A building which has suffered fire damage or damage caused by extreme weather conditions shall be exempt from the registration requirement for a period of one hundred eighty consecutive days after the date of the fire or extreme weather event if the property owner submits a request for exemption in writing to the Community Development Department. This request shall include the names and addresses of the owner or owners, Hazard Insurance information, and a statement of intent to repair and reoccupy the building in an expedient manner, or the intent to demolish the building.
(c) A vacant property that is under pending action such as bankruptcy, probate, or other court or administrative action that would prohibit the owner from taking any action as required by this chapter may be exempt, at the discretion of the Community Development Department, only after the owner or owner agent has provided all supporting documentation of the pending action.
(d) A property under ownership of the City of Sidney, a government entity, or the Shelby County Land Reutilization Corporation shall be exempt from registration.
(e) A building that is for sale or lease and listed with a Real Estate Agent shall be exempted no more than once per property, for a maximum period of twelve (12) consecutive months from the start of vacancy, provided that the owner submits proof to the Community Development Department of such listing and for sale status.
(f) Any owner of a vacant building may request an exemption for reasons other than those listed in Chapter 1329 from the provisions of this chapter by filing a written application with the Community Development Director who shall timely consider same. In determining whether a request for exemption should be granted, the Director shall consider the following: the applicant's prior record as it pertains to City Zoning Code, Building Code, or Property Maintenance Code violations; the amount of vacant properties the applicant currently has within the City; and the length of time that the building for which the exception is sought has been vacant.
(Ord. A-2936. Passed 8-27-18; Ord. A-2975, Passed 8-12-19.)