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Lafayette amends code to fast-track action on abandoned properties, sets fines and tax‑sale trigger
Summary
The Lafayette City Council approved Ordinance 20 25‑01, expanding the definition of vacant and abandoned structures, imposing maintenance duties on owners and establishing a tiered fine (starting $500 after 90 days, capped at $5,000/year). The change can also speed an abandoned‑property tax sale when taxes are unpaid.
The Lafayette City Council approved Ordinance 20 25‑01 on first reading to amend Chapter 13.05 (Unsafe Buildings), broadening how the city identifies and responds to vacant and abandoned structures.
City staff said the amended ordinance adds specific indicators of abandonment — including boarded entrances, broken windows, terminated utilities, accumulated debris and similar signs — and imposes explicit maintenance responsibilities on owners, such as securing the property, maintaining landscaping, removing debris and ensuring structural soundness. City staff described a tiered enforcement path that includes notice and a 90‑day cure period; if…
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