Greece Town Supervisor Bill Reilich today has announced an amendment to the Property Maintenance Code for the Town of Greece dealing with the issue of vacant and abandoned properties, commonly referred to as Zombie properties.
The newly proposed Vacant Structure Registry provision takes the issue of dealing with vacant and abandoned properties one step further. The new amendment would require any bank or lender who commences a foreclosure proceeding in the Town to give prompt notice and provide a cash bond in the amount of no less than $10,000, to secure the continued maintenance and safety of the property. To ensure compliance, failure to comply with this requirement would be punishable by a fine of $5,000. Additionally, the proposed amendment would create increased penalties for owners of vacant and abandoned structures that are repeatedly noncompliant with the existing Property Maintenance Code and would require owners to provide notice of such vacancy and up-to-date contact information.
“Since taking office, I have made it a top priority to take a good town and make it great once again. Today’s proposed amendment to our Town Code solidifies my promise to every resident, business and family that calls Greece their home,” said Supervisor Bill Reilich. “It is our commitment in fostering continued pride in our community and our neighborhoods that we are taking an aggressive approach in dealing with these vacant and abandoned properties. The proposed amendment would create another strong tool for our Town Code enforcement department to address and enforce the existing property maintenance code and provide additional oversight and stricter fines on vacant structures in our town.”
The newly proposed amendment would effectively be the strongest effort by a local municipality in Monroe County to combat the problems associated with vacant structures or zombie properties.