Vernon caps vacant home fee at $3K

The Vernon Township Council on Jan. 25 unanimously capped fees on vacant homes at $3,000.

It will cost property owners $500 to register homes as vacant or abandoned. If a house needs to remain on the list for an additional year, the cost will remain at $1,500. The registration fee will rise to $3,000 for the third year, where it will remain capped.

The council on April 9, 2018, passed an ordinance that set the fee scheduled as $500 for the first year a home is registered on the township’s vacant/abandoned properties list, $1,500 the second year, $3,000 for the third year, and $5,000 fee for the fourth year.

“We felt it was starting to get too high and cost prohibitive,” said Business Administrator Charles Voelker.

He said the $5,000 fee would not serve a purpose, and would not spur people to move forward with their projects. If someone bought a property entering its third year on the list, the registration fee would still be $3,000, he said.

Township resident Sean Clarkin said he has talked to people who had purchased vacant properties and have been hit with high fees.

“Instead of them getting hit with huge fines, there ought to be some way to check on their projects before punching them in the nose with a fine,” he said.

Township Attorney Josh Zielinski said the ordinance is valid and complies with state statutes.

“We’ve had numerous people allege or threaten to fill lawsuits with respect to vacant homes,” he said.” No lawsuits have been filed as of Jan. 25, he said.