(a) At the time of adoption of this article, all owners of realty within the City of Westover that contain a vacant structure, as defined above, shall register the same with the office of the Building Inspections of the City. For those structures that qualify as a vacant structure and after the adoption of this article, the owner thereof shall be required to register the structure with the City within thirty (30) days after the structure is found to meet the definition of a vacant structure. The registration form shall require information from the registrant deemed necessary by the Mayor, Building Inspector, Fire Chief, City Engineer and Police Chief of the City, so as to ensure that the purpose of this article is met. Specifically, the above named officers shall have the authority to require the property owner to provide a professional opinion (architect, engineer, etc.) to determine the structural integrity of the building, the repairs necessary to ensure its structural integrity and that will be safe for entry by fire fighters and police officers in time of emergency, and that the building and its contents do not present a hazard to the public during the time the building remains vacant. The above named officers shall have the authority to issue orders to the owner for corrective action deemed necessary. The Building Inspector shall rely upon the West Virginia State Building Code and Fire Code, as well as other applicable laws, for guidance during any such structural review.
(b) Registration Statement; Local Agent. If the property owner does not have an address within the state, the registration statement shall provide the name, address and phone number of a person who resides within the state and who is authorized to accept service of process on behalf of the owners and who shall be designated as a responsible, local party or agent, both for purposes of notification in the event of an emergency affecting the public health, safety or welfare and for purposes of service of any and all notices or registration statements as herein authorized and in connection herewith.
(c) Registration and Fees. Registration shall be required for all vacant buildings, whether vacant and secure, vacant and open or vacant and boarded, and shall be required whenever any building has remained vacant for forty-five (45) consecutive days or more. In no instance shall the registration of a vacant building and the payment of registration fees be construed to exonerate the owner, agent or responsible party for compliance with any other building code or housing code requirement. One registration statement may be filed to include all vacant buildings or of the owner so registering, but each structure constitutes a separate fee. The owner of the vacant property as the last day of the month when the property has been registered of each calendar year shall be annually responsible for the payment of the nonrefundable registration fee. Said fee shall be billed by the City; and based on the duration of the vacancy as determined by the following scale:
(1) Applicable inspection fee (to be determined) depending on the duration of the inspection, for properties that are vacant for less than one year;
(2) $500 for properties that are vacant for at least one year but less than two years;
(3) $1,000 for properties that are vacant for at least two years but less than three years;
(4) $2,000 for properties that are vacant for at least three years but less than four years;
(5) $3,500 for properties that are vacant for at least four years but less than five years; and
(6) $4,000 for properties that are vacant for at least five years, plus an additional $300 for each year in excess of five years.
(Ord. 466. Passed 6-17-19.)