Manchester officials add teeth to abandoned property policy

If you have an unoccupied building in Manchester and you chafed over the lien that the township placed on it to maintain it, wait until you see what's next.

A new revision to the township code requires owners of abandoned and vacant properties to register and pay steep fees in the process.

Fees begin at $750 for initial registration in 2016. That fee rises to $1,000 at the start of 2017. Renewals will cost $2,000 for the first, $3,000 for the second, and $5,000 for each subsequent one. The policy takes effect in mid-March and would be required within 30 days of vacating a building, or within 30 days after ownership is established.

Homes in which no one lives and which are not hooked up to utilities typify the vacant-and-abandoned property in Chapter 313 of the township code. Homes empty during renovations or that recently entered the market, with the expectation of habitation, do not require registration.

"This registration fee requirement shows property owners that we are serious about monitoring their abandoned and vacant properties," Zoning Officer Nicole Ashkar said in prepared comments.

"The amendment allows the Township to encourage owners in possession of foreclosure properties to focus on making quick sales while providing for proper maintenance as they find a buyer."

Mayor Ken Palmer's office estimates that there are hundreds of them, creating a daunting task for code enforcement officials to trace the ownership chain and learn who's supposed to be handling the upkeep.

Officials remain concerned about deterioration of neglected structures, especially foreclosed properties in the hands of banks, which, they contend, end up becoming neighborhood safety threats and magnets for crime, vandalism and fire.