Vacant Building Registry FAQs
Vacant Building Registry FAQs
Due to the ease of access to the online Civics system from anywhere in the world, the City has an obligation to mitigate the risk of individuals falsely submitting records for properties they don’t own, or other forms of falsifying records. The photo ID would only ever be used in cases where there is a dispute between two Civics accounts to help confirm who is the “true” owner, or in cases where the City may need to confirm the identity of the account for other reasons.
- This new requirement was added to the VBR and the Building Owner Registry via a City Code amendment in March 2023.
- The VBR can be submitted by the property owner or an authorized agent of the property owner, such as a property manager.
- Even well-maintained vacant structures are a detriment to their communities. They lead to a decrease in surrounding property values, attract crime and public safety issues, and contribute to fewer housing units being otherwise available when units are in short supply. The City is taking a more aggressive stance on vacant buildings due to an uptick in public safety issues and taxpayer funded costs associated with dealing with them. Investors and property owners are advised that they should not acquire or hold vacant buildings that they don’t have the resources or capacity to rehab and reoccupy within 12-24 months. The first year application fee should only be a nominal $100 for owners who have an accepted plan to rehab the property.
- Locate the BOR record in your “My Records” list within Civics. Double-check to make sure that the status shows as 'Complete'. Otherwise, check the “Current Step”- the following may still be required:
- A photo ID uploaded;
- A property manager designation and the property manager's Civics account may not be a company, they must be a person. They must also have an address located within Monroe County.;
- Property insurance certificate;
- LLC Owner Disclosure (click on the link)
- Building Management Plan (or revisions to the management plan requested by the City); and
- Payment of the application fee