Lewisville, TX, approves vacant property registration ordinance, effective Oct. 1

Lewisville, TX: Vacant property registration and revisions to other requirements of the vacant property ordinance have been approved by City Council, and will go into effect Oct. 1.
 

Owners of vacant properties have 30 days to file registration with the City, and pay registration fees. Renewals will be due by Oct. 31 of each subsequent year; noting, registrations are non-transferable and new owners will have to go through all steps upon gaining control of a given property.


Registration requires not only contact information and a plan of action for how to move the building out of vacant status, but also proof of liability insurance ($500,000 minimum for residential, and $2,000,000 for commercial) and signing or opting out of a criminal trespass affidavit.


Once registration occurs, the owner will have 60 days to schedule a City inspection of the property, to ensure the property is within code. Initial registration is $75.00, with inspection fees at $25.00 per instance of needed scheduled inspection.


Per the ordinance, “any person violating any of the provisions of this article shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction in municipal court, shall be subject to a fine not to exceed $2,000.00 for each offense, and each and every day such violation continues, it shall constitute a separate offense.”


Properties actively marketed for less than 6 months; under contract for sale/lease for less than 6 months; or having valid open building permits for construction, remodeling, or repair, may be excluded from the registration requirements while those exclusionary status conditions are in place.

 

 

 

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