Litchfield, IL

The City of Litchfield, Ill., has enacted property registration requirements. The program will be enforced through a third-party service provider (ProChamps) and will include a $325 semi-annual fee.  The change became effective on August 5.
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Property Registration Ordinance Sample Text

SECTION V: INSPECTION AND REGISTRATION OF REAL PROPERTY UNDER
FORECLOSURE

(a) Any Mortgagee who holds a mortgage on Real Property located within the City shall
perform an inspection of the property upon default by the mortgagor as evidenced by the
filing of a Foreclosure Action.

(b) Property inspected pursuant to subsection (a) above that remains in Foreclosure shall be inspected every thirty (30) days by the Mortgagee or Mortgagee's designee. If an
inspection shows a change in the property's occupancy status the Mortgagee shall, within
ten (10) days of that inspection, update the occupancy status of the property registration.

(c) Within ten (10) days of the date any Mortgagee files a Foreclosure Action, the Mortgagee shall register the Real Property with the City Registry, and, at the time of registration, indicate whether the property is Vacant, and if so, shall designate in writing a Property Manager to inspect, maintain, and secure the Real Property subject to the mortgage under a Foreclosure Action. A separate registration is required for each property under a Foreclosure Action, regardless of whether it is occupied or vacant.

(d) Initial registration pursuant to this section shall contain at a minimum the name of the
Mortgagee, the mailing address of the Mortgagee, e-mail address, telephone number and
name of the Property Manager and said person's address, e-mail address, and telephone
number.

(e) At the time of initial registration each registrant shall pay a non-refundable Semi-Annual Registration fee of three hundred twenty-five dollars ($325.00) for each property.
Subsequent non-refundable Semi-Annual renewal registrations of properties and fees in
the amount of three hundred twenty-five dollars ($325.00) are due within ten (10) days of
the expiration of the previous registration. Said fees shall be used to offset the costs of: (1) registration and registration enforcement, (2) code enforcement and mitigation related to Defaulted properties, (3) post-closing counseling and Foreclosure intervention limited to Owner-occupied persons in Default, which may not include cash and mortgage
modification assistance, and (4) for any related purposes as may be adopted in the policy set forth in this Chapter.

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Leonia, NJ

Property Registration Ordinance Sample Text

l9l-4 Registration of Abandoned Real Property
D. A non-refundable annual registration fee in the amount of $5,000 for year or portion thereof per property shall accompany the registration form. The annual fee shall be $5,000 for each year of registration thereafter. The annual registration fee shall be due on January 1 of each subsequent year as long as the property remains abandoned.

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Bangor, ME

The City of Bangor, Maine, has amended its property registration ordinance to reflect an increased fee of $270 (previously $266). The change became effective on August 20.

Property Registration Ordinance Sample Text

Article II. Vacant Buildings 
§ 223-5. Purpose.
A. Vacant or abandoned properties, particularly residential properties, create and pose significant and costly problems for the City. These properties often become a drain on the City budget and detract from the quality of life of the neighborhood and the City as a whole. Vacant buildings are an impediment to neighborhood redevelopment and rehabilitation, decrease property values, and prevent neighborhood stabilization. These structures are unsightly, often structurally unsound or otherwise dangerous, attract criminal activity, and otherwise create a threat to public health, safety, and welfare of neighboring properties and the general public.

B. A significant obstacle in providing effective and prompt enforcement of the current City Codes, as they relate to vacant buildings, is the inability to contact the owners of abandoned properties. These buildings are often also the subject of foreclosure actions by lien holders, which take considerable time to resolve.

C. Certain categories of vacant properties, such as homes of "snowbirds" or members of the armed forces on active duty deployment, are less likely to cause problems and accompanying City costs.

D. The purpose of this article is to provide a just, equitable and practicable method for identifying, managing and responding to the numerous issues associated with vacant buildings. This article is intended to prevent or mitigate dangers to health, safety and welfare, promote responsible management, provide a safe neighborhood for residents, safeguard property values, expedite housing repairs, and provide for prompt contact with owners or managers by Police, Fire, and Code Enforcement when issues or emergencies develop.

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Safeguard Properties Vacant Property Registration Matrix

Get details on enacted property registration ordinances across the country in one place by accessing Safeguard's searchable database. Enter here.