The City of Vallejo is one of many municipalities in California making efforts to deal with the negative effects of foreclosed/abandoned/vacant properties on the community. On March 12, 2013, the Vallejo City Council adopted the Modification to Vallejo Municipal Code (VMC)
Chapter 7.62 (known as the Vacant Building Ordinance) as City Ordinance No. 1672, which authorizes the implementation of the Vacant and Foreclosed Residential Property Registration Program. Ordinance No. 1672 became effective on April 12, 2013, and was codified with VMC Chapter 7.62 in June 2013. A link to the Ordinance text can be found
here.
An updated version of this
letter from the Code Enforcement Division is now being issued to the property owners of vacant or foreclosed residential properties within the City of Vallejo. “Property Owners” as defined in the ordinance includes makers or holders of loans secured by real property mortgages and their agents, mortgage lenders, beneficiaries, banks, mortgage servicers, trustees, foreclosure trustee servicers, title insurance companies, real estate property management firms, real estate brokers and other interested persons.
Requirements
This program requires the registration, maintenance, and security of vacant and foreclosed residential properties including single family houses, multi-family complexes, and condominiums up to 4 units within the City of Vallejo.
The registration requirement is triggered within 10 days after either of the following occurs:
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A Notice of Default has been recorded;
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The building becomes a “vacant building” subject to Section 7.62.035 of the Ordinance; or
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Within 10 days of acquiring the property at a trustee sale
Adoption of the ordinance requires Property Owners to:
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Register the property with the Code Enforcement Division by completely filling out the Vacant and Foreclosed Property Registration Annual Application Form
- Pay the annual registration fee of $411.00 per property to accompany the registration/application form. *All banks, financial institutions and other interested parties, other than the legal occupant of the property, are encouraged to notify the legal occupants of the property that they have registered and paid the registration fee for subject property, to avoid double payment to the City. Please note that proof provided to the City of MONTHLY MONITORING activity is REQUIRED and must be performed to avoid fines and penalties to the property owner(s).
- Perform an initial maintenance inspection within 10 days after becoming subject to the registration requirement, and thereafter, monthly maintenance inspections of the property to ensure that the property is free of trespassers and squatters, and that it complies with all applicable laws and ordinances. Evidence of monthly inspections in the form of comprehensive property pictures and brief written reports shall be submitted to the code enforcement division within ten (10) days after each monthly inspection. Per Section 7.62.036, failure to submit monthly inspection reports is punishable by a fine of two hundred dollars ($200) a day for every day that the required evidence is not submitted.
- Post all registered properties with the name and 24-hour toll-free contact phone number of the property owner, or the agent of the property owner responsible for the inspection and maintenance of the property. The posting shall be no less than 8 1/2," X 11" and shall contain, along with the name and 24- hour toll free contact number, the words "THIS PROPERTY MANAGED BY" and 'TO REPORT PROBLEMS OR CONCERNS CALL" or similar. The posting shall be placed in a window adjacent to the entry door or attached to the exterior of the entry door. Exterior posting must be constructed of and printed with, or contained in, weather-resistant materials. The posting font should be possible to read from 20 feet away.
- Secure all vacant buildings from trespassers.
- Maintain such property in a manner that does not violate the provisions of the Vacant Building Ordinance and applicable property maintenance ordinances, and such owner remains liable for any violation regardless of any contract or agreement with any third party regarding such property.
- Subject the property to monitoring by the Code Enforcement Manager. Monitoring is required to ensure compliance with the Vacant Building Ordinance and to ensure that the property owner is progressing diligently with authorized repair or rehabilitation, the building is ready for occupancy and actively offered for sale, lease or rent, or the property owner is actively maintaining and monitoring the building.
Please address any questions or concerns to the following:
Vallejo Police Department - Code Enforcement
2 Florida Street
Vallejo, CA 94590
E-mail Us
Phone (707) 648-4469