Kane Co. tries new tack on vacant homes

The image of a vacant and abandoned house with a lawn that could be trimmed only with a machete or windows that have become target practice for vandals is now a more common problem than perhaps ever before in Kane County neighborhoods. The county's own numbers show more than 5,000 homes were foreclosed upon in 2009.

Now the county is hoping a new law officials are about to approve will provide an easier method to make sure those vacant homes are properly cared for. County board members will vote next Tuesday, June 8, on a proposed law that may help fix that problem. The law would require the owner or entity responsible for the vacant property to register the home as a vacant dwelling with the county within 30 days of it becoming vacant.

The county's Development Department and Public Health Department work jointly to address any issues that arise with vacant homes such as vandalism, vagrancy and dilapidated lawns and porches. Officials from both departments have said in recent weeks the hardest part of dealing with vacancies, especially foreclosed homes, is the longer they sit vacant, the harder it is to track down the person or entity that is legally responsible for maintaining the property.

"One issue nationally is people who are walking away from their properties," said Gerald Jones, chairman of the county board's Public Health Committee. "People are dropping keys on the table and walking out the door. They have to recognize that they are still responsible for the maintenance of the property."

Registration, while not a complete answer to the problem, will at least help get the county in touch with the responsible entities early in the vacancy process, said Development Director Mark VanKerkhoff.

"We want them to register with the county so if things get out of hand, the county can put them on notice that we are watching," he said.

The registration will be valid for one year and require an annual $50 payment per dwelling. The registered owner, or someone designated by the owner with an office or residence in the county, will then be the person who receives any notices of code violations and legal documents for any court proceedings stemming from code violations.

Any owner who fails to register a vacant dwelling with the county will receive notices of code violations via posting at the vacant dwelling. The vacant property must be enclosed and boarded up until it becomes occupied or repairs are completed.

The county also must inspect each vacant dwelling at least once a year.