Vacant property registration ordinance approved in St. Marys, OH

St. Marys, OH: City Council approved a vacant property registration ordinance, to reduce health/safety risks and blight effects to the community.

 

The ordinance defines a vacant property as involving no evidence of legal occupancy for more than 90 days, as well as accumulation of debris, dilapidation of the property, inactivity of ready utilities, notices of code violation, and delinquent taxes.

 

Registration is to occur within 30 days of the property being established as vacant, with annual renewal, and payment of a fee of $250 for residential buildings and $400 for the first year for commercial/industrial buildings; the fee for commercial/industrial buildings will double for each year of vacancy, to a cap of $6,400.

 

Registration also includes current contact information for the owner(s), those with a legal interest, and entities in charge of the property (if the owners are not in Auglaize County or an adjacent county); submission of a plan for what is to occur to the property, to include maintenance of or rehabilitation or demolition of the property to maintain City Code; and acquiring of, or demonstrating already in place, liability insurance for the property.

 

Failure to register within the allotted timeframes can result in additional fees equal to the registration fee itself, or $1,000, whichever is less. Additional penalties may be assessed for failure to maintain the property to Code.

 

 

 

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