Dear citizens,
Dunsmuir City Council recently passed an ordinance titled: “Abandoned and Distressed Real Property.” It requires the following:
A. The owner of any abandoned or distressed building, structure, or other real property as defined herein shall within sixty (60) days after the building, structure, or other real property becomes abandoned or distressed or within thirty (30) days after assuming ownership of such abandoned or distressed property, whichever is later, file a registration statement for each such property with the city clerk on forms provided by the city clerk for such purpose. The registration shall remain valid for one year from the date of registration. The owner shall be required to renew the registration annually as long as the building, structure, or other real property remains abandoned or distressed and shall pay a registration or renewal fee as prescribed in this chapter for each abandoned or distressed property registered.
B. The owner shall notify the city clerk within thirty (30) days of any change in the registration information by filing an amended registration statement on a form provided by the city clerk for such purposes.
C. The registration statement shall be deemed proof of the statements therein in any administrative enforcement proceeding or court proceeding instituted by the city against the owner(s) of the building.
9.14.040 - Registration statement requirements.
A. The registration statement shall include the name, street address, and telephone number of a natural person eighteen years of age or older, designated by the owner(s) as the authorized agent for receiving notices of code violations and for receiving process, in any court proceeding or administrative enforcement proceeding, on behalf of such owner(s) in connection with the enforcement of any applicable code or of this chapter. This person must maintain an office in the state of California or reside within the state of California.
B. The registration statement shall also include the name of the person responsible for maintaining and securing the property so that it is not accessible, if different from the person identified in subsection (A) above. C. The registration statement shall also include the name, address, and telephone number of the agent authorized to rent the property or the name, address, and telephone number of the listing real estate agent who is authorized to list the property.
9.14.070 - Fee schedule. The initial registration fee for each abandoned or distressed property shall be five hundred (500) dollars, but may be reduced to one hundred (100) dollars if the city clerk receives acceptable evidence that the property has been listed for sale or rent at a reasonable price with a licensed real estate agent authorized to sell or lease the property. The fee for the first and every subsequent renewal is five hundred (500) dollars. The city clerk may waive the fee entirely with acceptable evidence that (1) the property is being utilized for a community benefit, or (2) a building permit has been issued for improvements/repairs that exceed 50 percent of the property value and said improvements/repairs are actively being pursued to the satisfaction of the building official.
If you need additional information, please see the ordinance at the following link or please call city hall