Vacant property registration ordinance approved for Watertown, NY

Watertown, NY: City Council has approved a vacant property registration ordinance.

 

Registration will be due within 30 days vacancy. Registration consists of: details of the property, current contact information for all owners or all owners and a representative in charge of the property if the owners do not reside in Jefferson County or an adjacent county, and payment of a $50 fee.

 

Properties that remain vacant for more than 90 days must maintain the property within City code, pay an additional fee of $750, and schedule inspections for the property by the City; with the $750 fee to be paid again annually based on the property registration date, for the duration of the vacancy.

 

A property will not be considered vacant if it is actively listed for sale with a licensed real estate agent, and remains in compliance with the State Property Maintenance Code. A registration fee will not be due if a plan for rehabilitation is submitted and approved by the City, and the plan maintains its approved timeline and progress.

 

If the owner of a property deemed vacant fails to register and pay all fees within a timely manner, then an administrative fee of $150 would be filed as a lien against the property.

 

Violations of any areas of the ordinance, failure to register, or providing false information when registering, can result in fines of $500 per month of non-compliance and be subject to prosecution by the City Court.

 

 

 

Ascent combines focused research and centralized operations oversight to create innovative outsourced solutions for code enforcement violations, vacant property registration ordinances, property preservation, and other vendor management needs from across the United States.