By Andrew Martins
Staff Writer
JACKSON – The owners of abandoned properties in Jackson will be under increased scrutiny from municipal officials and will be held responsible for the condition of those parcels.
An ordinance adopted by the Township Council on July 12 adds a new section to the municipal code and requires the owner of a property that is abandoned to provide contact information to the Department of Code Enforcement.
Council President Robert Nixon said abandoned properties pose “public safety, … public health and … property value issues” for Jackson. He said the regulations were a necessary step to hold property owners accountable.
Generally, an abandoned or foreclosed property is owned by a bank after the homeowner can no longer pay his mortgage or loan, or chooses not to make the payments.
The new ordinance was adopted almost two years after officials passed similar measures that mandate the registration of properties undergoing foreclosure. Officials have further defined what an abandoned property is by adopting relevant terminology from the state’s Abandoned Properties Rehabilitation Act.
According to the state’s definitions, an abandoned property is one that has not been legally occupied for six months and meets any of the following additional criteria: the property has been in need of repair for six months; construction on the property started, but was not completed for at least six months; at least one property tax payment was not made and is deemed delinquent; the property has been deemed a nuisance by a code enforcement officer.
Any property that has a residential space and a non-residential space can be considered abandoned if “two-thirds or more of the total net square footage of the building” was used for residential purposes and that area has not been occupied for six months.
According to the new law, any owner of a vacant and abandoned property must register each parcel with Jackson’s Code Enforcement Office within three days after the property becomes vacant or within 30 days after taking ownership of the property.
Each registration will last for one year. The initial registration and renewal costs will be $250 per year. Any changes to the registration must be reported to the Code Enforcement Office within 30 days of the change.
Once a property has been registered, the owner gives consent to the township to allow a code enforcement officer to access the property. In the event an interior inspection of a structure is needed, the property owner will be charged as if the inspection was a certificate of occupancy inspection.
Registrants are required to include the contact information of any U.S. citizen, age 21 and over, to be designated as the authorized agent for receiving notices of code violations. Registrants must provide a 24-hour emergency contact number for the designated individual.
Abandoned buildings must be secured and provisions must be made for lawn and yard maintenance and the cancellation of mail, newspapers, water service during the winter and electric and gas utilities, according to the ordinance.
Violators will be subject to a fine between $500 and $1,000 for non-compliance. The fines will be the responsibility of the property owner and could become a lien on the property if they are not paid.
