Frederick, MD, approves vacant property registration ordinance
Frederick, MD: The Board of Alderman unanimously approved a vacant property registration ordinance, with registration for currently vacant properties to begin by Dec 1, 2021.
Mixed-use or commercial buildings are subject to registration requirements if found to be 100 percent vacant, or if 50 percent of the first floor adjacent to the right of way is vacant; water bill records will be used to help establish vacancy.
Registration is not required until vacancy has occurred for 365 days. At 365 days of vacancy the property must be registered, and there is no registration fee; if a property has already been vacant, before the ordinance creation, the time the property has been vacant is to be accounted for.
After the first registration, at each additional 365 days of vacancy, the property is subject to re-registration, as well as paying a fee (to be determined) and being subject to inspections.
If a vacant property is re-occupied at any point, the owner must notify the City, and if the City finds the information to be factual the property will be removed from the registry within 30 days of said notification of occupancy.
Properties must be maintained to Code, and failure to perform all registration/inspection requirements or maintain the property to Code can result in a municipal infraction, punishable by a fine of $1000.
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