CURWENSVILLE – A new ordinance in Curwensville Borough will be available for public view.
At Monday’s meeting, the Curwensville Borough Council voted to advertise the proposed Vacant and Abandoned Property ordinance. The council had voted last month to send the ordinance to the solicitor for review.
At the meeting, President Sara Curulla said the solicitor has approved the ordinance and it can now be advertised.
According to previously-published GANT News articles, if approved, the ordinance will require owners or agents responsible for the property to register the property by Jan. 31 of each year. Failure to register will result in a $300 fine.
Agents and property owners will be required to keep and maintain the property in good and safe condition, in accordance with all applicable codes and laws.
The property owners or agents must provide access to borough officials for inspection prior to the initial occupancy of rehabilitated properties and prior to the sale of any vacant property; upon any changes of ownership; complaints or other reasonable cause. The proposed ordinance also imposes fees if properties must be re-inspected, if violations are found.
The proposed ordinance also imposes annual fees based on the amount of time the structure has been vacant. The proposed fees are as follows:
- Up to, but not more than 2 years – $200
- 2 years, but less than 3 – $400
- 3 years, but less than 4 – $800
- 4 years, but less than 5 – $1,000
- 5 or more years – $1,500
Vacant properties, which are family owned due to the immediate death or hospitalization and are maintained for personal use only, can become exempt from the annual fee if approved for a homestead exemption.