Abandoned Property Registration

Ordinance 1312 Chapter 110

PURPOSE AND INTENT

It is the purpose and intent of the Borough to establish a process to address the deterioration and blight of the Borough neighborhoods caused by an increasing amount of abandoned, foreclosed or distressed real property located within the Borough, and to identify, regulate, limit and reduce the number of abandoned properties located within the Borough. It is the Borough’s further intent to establish a registration program as a mechanism to protect the neighborhoods from becoming blighted due to the lack of adequate maintenance and security of abandoned and foreclosed properties.

REGISTRATION OF ABANDONED REAL PROPERTY

(a) Any mortgagee who holds a mortgage on real property located within the Borough of Lansdowne shall perform an inspection of the property to determine vacancy or occupancy, upon default by the mortgagor. The mortgagee shall, within ten (10) days of the inspection, register the property with the Code Enforcement Officer, or designee, on forms or website access provided by the Borough, and indicate whether the property is vacant or occupied. A separate registration is required for each property, whether it is found to be vacant or occupied. The sale of any mortgage by a mortgagee shall not terminate or otherwise affect the requirements of this ordinance. The requirements of this ordinance shall be applicable to and binding upon any successor mortgagee or assignee or purchaser of a mortgage.

(b) If the property is occupied but remains in default, it shall be inspected by the mortgagee or his designee monthly until (1) the mortgagor or other party remedies the default, or (2) it is found to be vacant or shows evidence of vacancy at which time it is deemed abandoned, and the mortgagee shall, within ten (10) days of the inspection, update the property registration to a vacancy status on forms provided by the Borough.

(c) Registration pursuant to this section shall contain the name of the mortgagee, the direct mailing address of the mortgagee, a direct contact name and telephone number, facsimile number and email address for the mortgagee, the folio or tax number, and the name and twenty-four (24) hour contact phone number of the property management company responsible for the security and maintenance of the property.

(d) A non-refundable annual registration fee shall accompany the registration form or website registration. The fee shall be $250 per property upon enactment of this ordinance, but such fee may be revised by resolution of Borough Council from time to time.

(e) This section shall also apply to properties that have been the subject of a foreclosure sale where the title was transferred to the beneficiary of a mortgage involved in the foreclosure and any properties transferred under a deed in lieu of foreclosure/sale.

(f) Properties subject to this section shall remain under the annual registration requirement, and the inspection, security and maintenance standards of this section as long as they remain vacant or in default.

(g) Any person or legal entity that has registered a property under this section must report any change of information contained in the registration within ten (10) days of the change.

(h) Failure of the mortgagee and/or owner to properly register or to modify the registration form from time to time to reflect a change of circumstances as required by this article is a violation of the article and shall be subject to enforcement.

Registration shall be through HERA REGISTRY at https://propertyscape-reg.deckard.com/vfpr-pa-delaware-borough_of_lansdowne