Vacant Building fee. Why is that? Vacant Building means there’s no tenants?
Moermond: it is established for buildings that cannot be occupied by virtue of having
major code violations and having been condemned, both of which this building
qualifies under. This is under chapter 43 of the Legislative Code.
Chang: what does the extension mean? It delays the start of the Vacant Building
program? The extent of the fee payment? I can pay 90 days later?
Moermond: your property went into the program April 13, 2022. The Vacant Building fee
is for the entire year, April 13, 2022 through April 12, 2023. That fee can be waived for
90 days if you fill out the Vacant Building registration form. You filled out that form
dated May 25. The 90-day waiver goes from April 13, forward three months, to July 13,
2022. The implication of that is if all the work is done in that period there is no Vacant
Building fee forthcoming. I will tell you that you were given four additional waivers which
took you into 2023 without having to pay the Vacant Building fee. So had your permits
been finaled as of June 1 you wouldn’t have had any fee whatsoever. I don’t know why
you have those waivers. I’m curious about that. But if you would have been done during
that waiver time period there would have been no fee. Do you understand that?
Chang: ok, so if I did the work June I wouldn’t have to pay the Vacant Building fee?
Moermond: yes. I’m assuming you must have had many conversations with Vacant
Building staff to get these waivers.
Chang: I talked to them on the phone, but I didn’t receive any letters. I talked to
Vacant Building staff about cleaning up the yard a couple of times. I didn’t receive any
letters asking for the Vacant Building warning letter.
Moermond: let’s say you didn’t get those, what do you want me to do with that
information?
Chang: can I pay starting like from June 2023 and I can pay moving forward from June
to the one year? Waive me one-year Vacant Building fee. Then I can pay starting June
2023?
Moermond: I’m not in favor of doing that, no. I think you do owe the money. It was
obvious in the original registration money you owed the fee and in the form you filled
out that you owe an annual fee. This assessment letter says you didn’t pay the fee. I’m
going to ask the Department for a further report. I think you received proper legal
notice. I understand you said you didn’t receive notice. That is your position.
Chang: yes. It took longer than I expected too, there was no communication after my
extensions. It took a long time to repair, not because I didn’t want to do them but
because of contractor situation and materials. When you consider that kind of
circumstance on top of not receiving letters of the renewal. Then I was lost in the
process, how do I hurry when my contractor isn’t repairing the fire damages. What are
your expectations of the time period that I should have finished the repairs? One year,
or do you think I could have finished in 2 years? If its 2 years I still have some time
left. That’s why I’m asking how the fee works. Do you expect fire damaged property to
be done in one year? That’s what I’m looking for. What is the physical expectation.
After Covid everything slowed down. No one paid rent. How come the City doesn’t look
out for those problems with the building owners? I put in a good faith effort to get the
work done, I’m losing money also because I wasn’t able to rent it. It isn’t that I am
neglecting the property. Vacant Building registration can be extended a little farther.
That’s why I’m asking how the Vacant Building registration works.