Charleston VPR off to strong start months before ordinance officially takes effect

Charleston, NC: The vacant property registration ordinance passed in March to combat the estimated $350,000 annual drain such properties have on the city has had a noticeable effect in Charleston, despite the VPR not taking effect until September.

Some of the owners of the 297 properties estimated in 2013 to fall under the description of vacant properties have already sent in demolition requests, as well as many other owners requesting further information regarding renovation and resale.

All properties that have been vacant for at least six months based on the ordinance’s start date of March 17 will apply under the ordinance as vacant properties, and therefore be subject to the registration.  

A fee will be charged for each year after the initial registration of vacancy, with a cap of $1,250 after five years of vacancy. Non-payment may result in liens on the property.

Failure to register a property within a month of notification of a six-month vacancy will result in fines of up to $500.

Government buildings, properties under construction/renovation, and residential properties that are not more than 85 percent vacant are exempt from the parts of the ordinance.

Ascent combines focused experience with centralized operations oversite to create innovative solutions to manage code violation notices, vacant property registration ordinances, and vendor management services across the entire United States.