[Ord. No. 1189 §1, 8-19-2013[1]]
It is the purpose and intent of the City of Breckenridge Hills,
Missouri, through the adoption of this Chapter, to establish an abandoned
residential property registration program as a mechanism to protect
residential neighborhoods from becoming blighted through the lack
of adequate maintenance and security of abandoned properties.
[1]
Editor's Note: Sections 1 through 11 of this ordinance
superseded former Ch. 520, Registration of Vacant Residential Structures,
as adopted and amended by Ord. No. 1054 §1, 5-19-2003.
[Ord. No. 1189 §2, 8-19-2013]
As used in this Chapter, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated:
A property that is vacant and is under a current notice of
default and/or notice of trustee's sale, pending tax assessor's
lien sale and/or properties that have been the subject of a foreclosure
sale where the title was retained by the beneficiary of a deed of
trust involved in the foreclosure and any properties transferred under
a deed in lieu of foreclosure/sale.
A property that is accessible through a compromised/ breached
gate, fence, wall, etc.
A structure/building that is unsecured and/or breached in
such a way as to allow access to the interior space by unauthorized
persons.
Any agreement or written instrument, which provides that
title to residential property, shall be transferred or conveyed from
one owner to another owner after the sale, trade, transfer or exchange.
An instrument that transfers the beneficial interest under
a deed of trust from one lender/entity to another.
A lender under a note secured by a deed of trust.
Any person, copartnership, association, corporation, or fiduciary
who agrees to transfer anything of value in consideration for property
described in an agreement of sale, as defined in this Section.
Any building/structure that is in violation of any condition
referenced in the Breckenridge Hills City Code and/or any condition
deemed to be dangerous by a City of Breckenridge Hills official, inspection
officer, Police Officer or the Breckenridge Hills Municipal Court.
Consecutive calendar days.
A recorded document that transfers ownership of a property
from the trustor to the holder of a deed of trust upon consent of
the beneficiary of the deed of trust.
An instrument by which title to real estate is transferred
to a party as security for a real estate loan. This definition applies
to any and all subsequent deeds of trust, i.e., second trust deed,
third trust deed, etc.
The failure to fulfill a contractual obligation, monetary
or conditional.
A property that is under a current notice of default and/or
notice of trustee's sale and/or pending tax assessor's lien
sale or has been foreclosed upon by the trustee or has been conveyed
to the beneficiary/trustee via a deed in lieu of foreclosure/sale.
Any condition that on its own or combined with other conditions
present would lead a reasonable person to believe that the property
is vacant. Such conditions include, but are not limited to, overgrown
and/or dead vegetation, accumulation of newspapers, circulars, flyers
and/or mail, post-due utility notices and/or disconnected utilities,
accumulation of trash, junk and/or debris, the absence of window coverings
such as curtains, blinds and/or shutters, the absence of furnishings
and/or personal items consistent with residential habitation, statements
by neighbors, passersby, delivery agents, government employees that
the property is vacant.
The process by which a property, placed as security for a
real estate loan, is sold at auction to satisfy the debt if the trustor
(borrower) defaults.
Within forty (40) road/driving miles' distance of the
subject property.
Those conditions that are present on a simple majority of
properties within a three-hundred-foot radius of an individual property.
A property that is the subject of a neighborhood standard comparison,
or any other abandoned property within a three-hundred-foot radius,
shall not be counted toward the simple majority.
A recorded notice that a default has occurred under a deed
of trust and that the beneficiary intends to proceed with a trustee's
sale.
In excess of forty (40) road/driving miles' distance
of the subject property.
Any person, copartnership, association, corporation, or fiduciary
having a legal or equitable title or any interest in any real property.
The person having recorded title to the property at any given
point in time the record is provided by the St. Louis County Records
Office and/or any party that is the landlord of the property.
Any unimproved or improved real property, or portion thereof,
situated in the City and includes the buildings or structures located
on the property regardless of condition.
Any improved real property, or portion thereof, situated
in the City, designed or permitted to be used for dwelling purposes,
and shall include the buildings and structures located on such improved
real property. This includes any real property being offered for sale,
trade, transfer, or exchange as residential, whether or not it is
legally permitted and/or zoned for such use.
Such measures as may be directed by an official from the
City of Breckenridge Hills and/or St. Louis County or his or her designee
that assist in rendering the property inaccessible to unauthorized
persons, including but not limited to the repairing of fences and
walls, chaining/padlocking of gates, the repair or boarding of door,
window and/or other openings. Boarding shall be completed to a minimum
of the current HUD securing standards at the time the boarding is
completed or required.
The person, firm or corporation holding a deed of trust on
a property.
A borrower under a deed of trust, who deeds property to a
trustee as security for the payment of a debt.
A building/structure that is not legally occupied.
[Ord. No. 1189 §3, 8-19-2013]
Within ten (10) days of the purchase and/or transfer of a loan/deed
of trust secured by residential property, the new beneficiary/trustee/owner/landlord
shall record, with the St. Louis County Recorder's Office, an
assignment of rents, or similar documents, that lists the name of
the corporation, and/or individual, the mailing address and contact
phone number of the new beneficiary/trustee/owner/landlord responsible
for receiving payments associated with the loan/deed of trust.
[Ord. No. 1189 §4, 8-19-2013]
A.Â
Any beneficiary/trustee/owner/landlord who holds a deed of trust
on a property located within the City of Breckenridge Hills, Missouri,
shall perform an inspection of the property that is the security for
the deed of trust, upon default by the trustor, prior to recording
a notice of default with the St. Louis County Recorder's Office.
If the property is found to be vacant or shows evidence of vacancy,
it is, by this Chapter, deemed abandoned and the beneficiary/trustee/owner/landlord
shall, within ten (10) days of the inspection, register the property
with the City of Breckenridge Hills and St. Louis County on forms
provided by the City.
B.Â
If the property is occupied but remains in default, it shall be inspected
by the beneficiary/trustee/owner/landlord, or his designee, monthly
until:
1.Â
The trustor or other party remedies the default; or
2.Â
It is found to be vacant or shows evidence of vacancy at which
time it is deemed abandoned, and the beneficiary/trustee/owner/landlord
shall, within ten (10) days of that inspection, register the property
with the City of Breckenridge Hills and St. Louis County on forms
provided by the City.
C.Â
In either case the registration shall contain the name of the beneficiary/
trustee/owner/landlord (corporation or individual), the direct street/office
mailing address of the beneficiary/trustee/owner/landlord (no P.O.
boxes), a direct contact name and phone number for the beneficiary/trustee/owner/landlord
and, in the case of a corporation or out-of-area beneficiary/trustee,
the local property management company responsible for the security,
maintenance and marketing of the property. Registration fees will
not be prorated.
D.Â
An annual registration fee shall accompany the registration form.
The fee and registration shall be valid for the calendar year, or
remaining portion of the calendar year, in which the registration
was initially required. Subsequent registrations and fees are due
January 1 of each year and must be received no later than January
31 of the year due.
E.Â
This Section shall also apply to properties that have been the subject
of a foreclosure sale where the title was transferred to the beneficiary
of a deed of trust involved in the foreclosure and any properties
transferred under a deed in lieu of foreclosure/sale.
F.Â
Properties subject to this Chapter shall remain under the annual
registration requirement; security and maintenance standards of this
Section as long as they remain vacant.
G.Â
Any person, firm or corporation that has registered a property under
this Chapter must report any change of information contained in the
registration within ten (10) days of the change.
[Ord. No. 1189 §5, 8-19-2013]
A.Â
Properties subject to this Section shall be, in comparison to the
neighborhood standard, kept free of weeds, dry brush, dead vegetation,
trash, junk, debris, building materials, any accumulation of newspapers,
circulars, flyers, notices, except those required by Federal, State
or local law, discarded personal items, including, but not limited
to, furniture, clothing, large and small appliances, printed material
or any other items that give the appearance that the property is abandoned.
B.Â
The property shall be maintained free of graffiti, tagging, or similar
markings by removal or painting over with an exterior grade paint
that matches the color of the exterior of the structure.
C.Â
Visible front and side yards shall be landscaped and maintained to
the neighborhood standard at the time registration was required.
D.Â
Landscape includes, but is not limited to, grass, ground covers,
bushes, shrubs, hedges or similar plantings, decorative rock or bark
or artificial turf/sod designed specifically for residential installation.
E.Â
Landscape does not include weeds, gravel, broken concrete, asphalt,
decomposed granite, plastic sheeting, mulch, indoor-outdoor carpet
or any similar material.
F.Â
Maintenance includes, but is not limited to, regular watering, irrigation,
cutting, pruning and mowing of required landscape and removal of all
trimmings.
G.Â
Adherence to this Section does not relieve the beneficiary/trustee
or property owner of any obligations set forth in any covenants, conditions
and restrictions and/or homeowners' association rules and regulations
which may apply to the property.
[Ord. No. 1189 §6, 8-19-2013]
A.Â
Properties subject to this Section shall be maintained in a secure
manner so as not to be accessible to unauthorized persons.
B.Â
Secure manner includes but is not limited to the closure and locking
of windows, doors (walk-through, sliding and garage), gates and any
other opening of such size that it may allow a child to access the
interior of the property and or structure(s). In the case of broken
windows, securing means the reglazing or boarding of the window.
C.Â
If the property is owned by a corporation and/or out-of-area beneficiary/
trustee/owner/landlord, a local property management company shall
be contracted to perform weekly inspections to verify that the requirements
of this Section, and any other applicable laws, are being met.
D.Â
The property shall be posted with the name and twenty-four-hour contact
phone number of the local property management company. The posting
shall be no less than eighteen (18) inches by twenty-four (24) inches
and shall be of a font that is legible from a distance of forty-five
(45) feet and shall contain, along with the name and twenty-four-hour
contact number, the words "THIS PROPERTY MANAGED BY" and "TO REPORT
PROBLEMS OR CONCERNS CALL." The posting shall be placed on the interior
of a window facing the street to the front of the property so it is
visible from the street, or secured to the exterior of the building/structure
facing the street to the front of the property so it is visible from
the street or if no such area exists, on a stake of sufficient size
to support the posting in a location that is visible from the street
to the front of the property but not readily accessible to vandals.
Exterior posting must be constructed of and printed with weather-resistant
materials.
E.Â
The local property management company shall inspect the property
on a weekly basis to determine if the property is in compliance with
the requirements of this Chapter.
[Ord. No. 1189 §7, 8-19-2013]
In addition to the enforcement remedies established in the City
of Breckenridge Hills City Code, the City of Breckenridge Hills shall
have the authority to require the beneficiary/trustee/owner/landlord
and/or owner of record of any property affected by this Chapter to
implement additional maintenance and/or security measures, including,
but not limited to, securing any/all door, window or other openings,
installing additional security lighting, increasing on-site inspection
frequency, employment of an on-site security guard or other measures
as may be reasonably required to arrest the decline of the property.
[Ord. No. 1189 §8, 8-19-2013]
The fee for registering an abandoned residential property shall
be sixty dollars ($60.00).
[Ord. No. 1189 §9, 8-19-2013]
Violations of this Chapter may be enforced in any combination
as allowed in the City of Breckenridge Hills City Code.
[Ord. No. 1189 §10, 8-19-2013]
Any person aggrieved by any of the requirements of this Chapter
may appeal insofar as such appeal is allowed under the City of Breckenridge
Hills City Code.
[Ord. No. 1189 §11, 8-19-2013]
Violations of this Chapter shall be treated as a strict liability offense regardless of intent. Any person, firm and/or corporation that violates any portion of this Chapter shall be subject to prosecution and/or administrative enforcement permitted under the City of Breckenridge Hills City Code for nuisance properties and/or pursuant to the general penalty provided by the City of Breckenridge Hills City Code, Section 100.090.
