Blight ordinance enacted for improved or vacant property in Riverhead, NY
Riverhead, NY: Town Council has created a blight ordinance affecting improved or vacant property, to reduce negative effects of dilapidated property on the community.
Any given property will be evaluated if it qualifies as “blighted.” A property is deemed blighted when it reaches a score of 100 based on factors determined by the Town’s Blighted Property Designations.
Once a property is determined to be blighted, the Town will send out notifications to the property owners on file that list the various items to be addressed in order to alleviate the blight status;
if no person is known, a notice will be posted to the door of the property. Owners have 30 days to file a Restoration Agreement and/or dispute the classification.
At the end of 30 days of the notice being sent or posted, a registration fee of $2,500 for residential properties and $5,000 for commercial properties will be added to the tax bill for the
property.
Failure by the owner to abate any code violations, proceed with agreements for restoration, or other issues with the property, can allow the Town to determine the property a nuisance, then to enter
onto the property to perform what the Town determines are needed repairs, and assess the cost against the property, constituting a lien.
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