Leesburg staff reports enforcement limitations on Royal/Bridal Street properties; title issues slow remediation

At the end of the work session the BAR received an enforcement update from historic planning staff about several troubled properties on Royal and Bridal Streets.

Lauren told the board that multiple complaints have been made about conditions at a handful of properties, including a house that caught fire. She said the town cannot serve violation notices or pursue enforcement when the ownership record is unclear or the owner of record is deceased. “That house is in a state of unclear title,” Lauren said; town staff are coordinating with the town attorney’s office and the courts to identify heirs before legal action can proceed.

Staff clarified scope of authority: routine landscaping, junk cars and some nuisance complaints fall under the zoning code or other departments rather than historic‑district enforcement. Lauren asked BAR members to recognize that some problems must be handled by other town divisions and that enforcement is more complicated when title or estate issues block service of notices.

The board asked staff to continue to pursue the sites and to forward documentation so BAR members could understand which complaints staff can act on directly and which go to zoning, code enforcement or other agencies.