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Massena officials taking time on vacant property registry to avoid more financial hardship on those keeping up with code

Posted 10/7/15

By ANDY GARDNER MASSENA -- Village officials continue to explore creating a vacant property registry but are taking their time to avoid putting more financial burdens on people who are keeping theirs …

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Massena officials taking time on vacant property registry to avoid more financial hardship on those keeping up with code

Posted

By ANDY GARDNER

MASSENA -- Village officials continue to explore creating a vacant property registry but are taking their time to avoid putting more financial burdens on people who are keeping theirs up to code.

“Research continues to be ongoing. I spent the last couple weeks looking at a foreclosed property registration,” Trustee Matt Lebire told the village board on Tuesday. “Last thing we want to do is put on another regulatory burden or financial burden to anybody who’s maintaining their property.”

He said they may have more of an update at the Oct. 20 village meeting.

Mayor Tim Currier said he is glad they aren’t rushing it.

“Thanks for taking your time on this, and your due diligence,” he said.

Currier said at the Sept. 15 board meeting that he is looking at writing a local “zombie property” law if a state proposal isn’t enacted.

“Zombie properties” are held by banks but not brought up to code. Until the property is officially foreclosed, they can skirt code laws.

In Albany, the Abandoned Property Neighborhood Relief Act has been stuck in Assembly and Senate committees.

There are 232 empty buildings in the town and village, many of which are owned by financial institutions.

In August, Justin Niles, a firefighter and code official, said most of them are maintained and at a glance, look like they are being used. A list of what buildings are empty could help prevent issues with the recently passed blight law, he said.