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Murrysville leaders consider vacant-property registration to curb blight
Summary
Council reviewed a draft vacant-property registration ordinance that would require owners of long-empty properties to register, pay escalating fees, and permit inspections; staff said the measure is a tool to address absentee ownership and would include exemptions for actively marketed properties.
Chief Administrator Michael presented a proposed vacant-property registration ordinance during the council workshop, describing it as a roughly 10-page draft modeled on ordinances used in nearby communities.
"The idea behind the ordinance would be to create a registry, to have vacant properties registered within the community, pay a fee, allow for an inspection, and essentially be able to keep tabs on those properties," Michael said. He told council the measure targets properties that fall into disrepair when owners are absent and that it is intended as an additional enforcement tool rather than a broad canvas of all properties.
The draft would require owners of vacant properties to register, authorize municipal inspections and pay a fee that escalates over time. Michael said the escalating fee both funds inspections and creates an incentive for owners to repair, market or otherwise return properties to productive use. The ordinance also includes exemptions for properties actively listed for sale and for circumstances the municipality deems good cause.
Council members asked about specific exemptions — for example, long hospitalizations or extended absences common in a retirement community — and whether charging a registration fee is appropriate. Michael said the fee funds registry administration and inspections and that staff designed escalation to encourage remediation rather than merely punish owners.
Officials also discussed enforcement limits. Michael noted some requirements might raise private-contract concerns and advised conferring with the solicitor so the municipality does not impose obligations that would be privately enforceable. He added that any enforceable conditions could be placed in a developer's agreement where legally appropriate.
The council also heard that the Code Enforcement Appeal Board needs appointments (three members) to ensure appeal mechanisms are in place if the ordinance is adopted. Council members indicated support for further review and asked staff to refine exemptions and procedural language before placing the ordinance on a future agenda for advertisement and formal consideration.
The council directed staff to continue edits and said the ordinance could be listed for the Nov. 5 agenda once outstanding questions are resolved.
