A. 
Within 30 calendar days after property becomes abandoned property, or within 30 calendar days after assuming ownership of abandoned property, whichever is later, or within 10 calendar days of receipt of a notice from the City that property has been determined to be abandoned property, the owner of the abandoned property shall file a registration statement for such abandoned property with the City Clerk on forms to be provided by the City Clerk for such purposes. The failure to receive notice from the City that property has been determined to be abandoned property shall not constitute grounds for failing to register abandoned property.
B. 
Any owner who fails to register vacant property under the provisions of this article further shall be deemed to consent to receive, by posting on the structures located on the abandoned property, in plain view, and by service of notice at the last known address of the owner of the property, as shown on the records of the City of North Wildwood Tax Assessor, by regular mail and by certified mail, return receipt requested, any and all notices of code violations and all process in an administrative proceeding brought to enforce the provisions of this chapter.
C. 
In the event that abandoned property is sold or otherwise is transferred, the transferor of the property shall provide proof of the sale or transfer to the City Clerk within 10 days of the sale or transfer.
D. 
If the owner of abandoned property contends that the property no longer meets the definition of abandoned property, then the owner shall so notify the City Clerk, in writing. Within five days of receipt of such written notification, the City Clerk shall request one of the City's public officers to inspect the subject property to determine whether the property no longer qualifies as abandoned property. Within 30 days of receipt of such a request from the City Clerk, the public officer to whom the City Clerk's request was directed shall inspect the subject property and shall report, in writing, his/her findings to the City Clerk. The City Clerk shall forward a copy of those findings to the owner at the address listed on the registration statement. If the public officer who conducted the inspection has determined that the property no longer qualifies as abandoned property, then the City Clerk shall make an appropriate notation on the registration statement.
At a minimum, the registration statement shall include the following information:
A. 
The street address and the block and lot number(s) of the abandoned property, as shown on the current Tax Map.
B. 
The name, street address, telephone number and email address of the owner and the name, street address, telephone number and email address of a person, 18 years of age or older, designated by the owner as the agent of the owner for receiving notices of code violations and for receiving process in any court proceeding or administrative enforcement proceeding on behalf of such owner in connection with the enforcement of any municipal code violation or the violation of any other state, county or local law that pertains to property maintenance.
C. 
The name, street address, telephone number and email address of the entity, and the actual names of that entity's individual principals, who have been designated by the owner of the abandoned property as being responsible for maintaining the property along with documentary evidence of acceptance of the designation.
A. 
Registration of abandoned property shall remain valid for one year from the date of registration, except for the initial registration, which shall be valid through December 31 of the initial year of registration. The owner shall be required to renew the registration on an annual basis as long as the property remains abandoned property and shall pay a registration fee or a registration renewal fee, as the case may be, in the amount prescribed in § 174-5 of this article, for each abandoned property registered.
B. 
The annual renewal shall be completed by January 2 of each year.
[Amended 12-19-2017 by Ord. No. 1737]
C. 
The owner shall notify the City Clerk within 30 calendar days of any change in the information that has been provided on an annual registration statement by filing an amended registration statement on a form provided by the City Clerk for such purpose.
D. 
Registration statements shall be deemed prima facie proof of the accuracy of the statements and information contained therein in any administrative enforcement proceeding instituted by the City against the owner of the abandoned property.
A. 
The initial abandoned property registration fee is $50, and it shall be submitted with the registration form. Subsequent annual registration renewal fees are $50 for each subsequent renewal. Renewal fees are due by the registration renewal date. There is no fee for filing an amended registration statement so long as there are no fees due and owing as of the filing of the amended registration statement; otherwise, all unpaid fees that are due and owing shall be paid in full at the time that the amended registration statement is filed.
[Amended 12-19-2017 by Ord. No. 1737]
B. 
No federal, state or county governmental agency is required to pay the annual registration fee or registration renewal fee.
A. 
Within 30 days of property becoming vacant property, the owner thereof, as to the property and as to any structures located thereon, shall:
(1) 
Secure the structures against unauthorized entry and continue to maintain the structures in a secure manner for so long as the property continues to meet the definition of abandoned property. "Secure manner" shall include, but not be limited to, the closure and locking of windows, doors, gates and other openings of such size that may allow an adult or child to access the interior of the structure. Broken windows, doors, gates and other openings of such size that may allow an adult or child to access the interior of the structure shall be repaired. Broken windows shall be secured by reglazing of the window.
(2) 
Affix a sign to the principal structure on the property indicating the name, address and telephone number of the owner, the name, address and telephone number of the owner's authorized agent for the purpose of service of process and the name, address and telephone number of the person responsible for the maintenance of the property if such person is different from the owner or the owner's authorized agent. The sign shall be of a size and placed in such a location on the principal structure so as to be legible from the nearest public street or sidewalk, whichever is closest to the principal structure, but shall be no smaller than 8.5 inches by 11 inches.
(3) 
Keep the property free of:
(a) 
Dead vegetation, trash, junk, debris, broken glass, garbage, building materials and any accumulation of newspapers, circulars, flyers and notices, except those required by federal, state or local law, discarded personal items, including, but not limited to, furniture, clothing, large and small appliances, tires, unregistered motor vehicles, unregistered boats, trailers, recreational vehicles or any other items that give the appearance that the property is abandoned or is not being properly maintained.
(b) 
Weeds and overgrown brush. The obligation to maintain the property shall include, but not be limited to, watering, irrigation, cutting and mowing of lawns and removal of all trimmings therefrom and the maintenance of all landscaped areas.
(c) 
Dead and dying trees or other natural growth and vegetation located within 50 feet of a structure on an adjacent property or within 50 feet of an adjacent public right-of-way and which, by reason of rotting or deteriorating conditions or storm damage, constitutes a hazard to persons or structures on the adjacent property or adjacent right-of-way, as the case may be.
(d) 
Dilapidated bulkheads.
(4) 
Maintain sidewalks and curbs that are located on the property in good condition and repair, free of obstructions, debris or other unsafe conditions, projections, obstructions, icy conditions and snow accumulation.
(5) 
Maintain the property free of graffiti or similar markings by removal or painting over with an exterior-grade paint that matches the color of the existing structure.
(6) 
Keep swimming pools, spas and ponds winterized and covered.
B. 
Adherence to this section does not relieve the owner of any applicable property maintenance obligations that are set forth elsewhere in the Code of the City of North Wildwood.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]
Any person violating any provision of this article, upon conviction thereof, shall be punishable by a fine not to exceed $2,000, imprisonment for not more than 90 days, or community service for not more than 90 days, or any combination thereof. Every day that a violation continues shall constitute a separate and distinct offense. Fines assessed under this article shall be recoverable from the owner and shall be a lien upon the property.
If any portion of this chapter is determined to be invalid by a court of competent jurisdiction, that determination shall have no effect upon the remainder of this chapter, which shall remain valid and operable.