Long Island instigates point system to chart/defeat blight and assist VPR efforts

Long Island, NY: Anti-blight vacant property registration efforts have been given a point system. Councilmember Susan A. Berland spearheaded legislation to enforce VPR and create a measurement scale to mitigate negative effects brought on by vacant properties.

If a structure is vacant for more than 120 days, the owner must register it with the city Department of Public Safety. Registration includes contact information for all owners and verification of details about the structure at the behest of the Department of Public Safety. The confirmation of address for the registry creates a more reliable registry for all violation notifications and alleviation of such code violations, while assisting firefighters of potential structural challenges brought on by vacant properties.

The out of the norm part comes from the point system. A structure vacant for 60 days or longer gains 30 points as it is considered a blight condition. Further points are assigned to a property by exterior or interior safety hazards, illegal activities on the property, unfinished construction or necessary repairs, etc.

Once a property receives a score of 100, the owner will be notified and must contact the city to remedy the violations and/or set up timeline for said remedies to be completed. If 30 days pass from notification and the owner remains in noncompliance, a fine of $2,500 will be assessed for residential properties, and $5,000 for commercial properties.

“These two measures are vital in enhancing our blight program, which was put in place to protect our quality of life,” said Berland. “When combining these new measures with the original legislation, we can further ensure that property owners are held accountable for their violations.”

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