Vacant Building Registration Program

NEW: A bill/registration acknowledgment will be mailed to the owner of buildings meeting the vacant and derelict building criteria.

1st Floor Customer Service Center - City Hall
900 Church Street • Lynchburg, VA 24504
TEL 434-455-3910 •  FAX: 434-845-7630

 

Vacant Building Registration Program Purpose and Intent 

On December 13, 2016, City Council amended the Vacant Building Registration Program (Article IV Sec 11-191 to 11-193, 11-211 to 11-212) in order to help protect the City and its citizens from areas of the City becoming blighted due to vacant and "derelict" commercial and residential buildings. Every person owning a building or buildings meeting the criteria as listed in the City Code for a vacant derelict building, shall register any building or buildings, on forms provided by the Inspections Department, by July 1st of every year or face possible civil penalties. All fees and penalties due must be paid before July 1st of each year along with the completed registration form.

Lynchburg City Code, Article IV:  Vacant Building Registration Program

Sec. 11-191. - Vacant building registration
On or before July 1 of each year, the owner or managing agent, or a duly authorized representative acting on behalf of the owner or managing agent, shall register with the property maintenance official on forms developed by the inspections division, the address of any buildings they own or manage which have been vacant for a continuous period of 12 months or more and which meet the definition of derelict building. For purposes of this section, derelict building shall mean a residential or nonresidential building or structure, whether or not construction has been completed, that might endanger the public's health, safety, or welfare and for a continuous period in excess of six months, it has been (i) vacant, (ii) boarded up or secured in accordance with the building code, and (iii) not lawfully connected to electric service from a utility service provider or not lawfully connected to any required water or sewer service from a utility service provider. Every person filing registration forms with the property maintenance official shall pay an annual registration fee of $100.00 to defray the cost of processing the registration. 

Sec 11-192. - Failure to register.
Any person who fails to register a vacant building by the July 1 deadline shall be subject to a $200.00 civil penalty. Any person who fails to register any vacant building that is located in a conservation and rehabilitation district or any building that has been designated as blighted pursuant to the provisions of Section 36-49.1:1 of the Code of Virginia, shall be punished by a civil penalty not exceeding $400.00 for each building that is not registered.

Sec. 11-193. - Notice of assessment of penalty.
At least 30 days prior to the assessment of any civil penalty, the inspections division shall mail the owner, or managing agent, or the duly authorized representative acting on behalf of the owner or managing agent, at the address to which property tax notices are sent notice of the failure to comply with the registration requirements of this section.

Article V: Fees

Section 11-211. - Code Enforcement Fees
No permit shall be issued until the required fees shall have been paid, nor shall an amendment to a permit be approved until the additional fee, if any, due to an increase in the dimensions or size of the building or structure, shall have been paid. The fees for building permits will be as determined by city council from time to time and a copy of the schedule of fees will be kept in the office of the inspections division of community planning and development and shall be available for review upon request.

Section 11-212. - Waiver of code enforcement fees

Any of the code enforcement fees required by section 11-211 of this article may be waived for a business which is designated as a technology business and which business locates in either of the city's technology zones on or after July 1, 2002. The city's director of economic development, after consultation with the Lynchburg Industrial Development Authority, will determine which, if any, code enforcement fees will be waived.