Starting Aug. 1, owners of both residential and commercial buildings in Bremerton that are considered abandoned will have to register their properties with the city and inspect them monthly. The owners will also have to correct any nuisances, such as overgrown grass, trash or graffiti.
The ordinance, which the Bremerton City Council passed unanimously in April, is the first of its kind in Washington state. It imposes steep fines for noncompliance with the new rules.
Abandoned properties are defined as those that are vacant and have either been foreclosed (or have a deed in lieu of foreclosure), are under a notice of default or trustee sale, or are the subject of a pending tax assessor’s lien sale. The ordinance requires the properties to be properly maintained, and if the owner is a lender or another entity out of the area, it must retain a local property manager who will be responsible for complying with the ordinance. read more »