SENATE BILL NO. 162 Offered January 9, 2008 Prefiled January 7, 2008 A BILL to amend and reenact § 15.2-1127 of the Code of Virginia, relating to vacant building registration. ---------- Patron-- Lucas ---------- Referred to Committee on Local Government ----------

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1.  That § 15.2-1127 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:

§ 15.2-1127. Vacant building registration; penalty.

The Town of Pulaski, in a conservation and rehabilitation district of the town, and any city, by ordinance, may require the owner or owners of buildings that have been vacant for a continuous period of 12 months or more to register such buildings on an annual basis and may impose an annual registration fee not to exceed $25 to defray the cost of processing such registration. The registration of buildings shall be on forms designated by the locality and filed with the agency designated by the locality. Failure to register shall be a $50 civil penalty misdemeanor and any person convicted of such a violation shall be punished by a fine of not more than $500; however, failure to register in conservation and rehabilitation districts designated by the governing body, or in other areas designated as blighted pursuant to § 36-49.1:1, shall be punishable by a civil penalty not exceeding $250 fine of not more than $2,500. Notice shall be mailed to the owner or owners, at the address to which property tax notices are sent, at least 30 days prior to the assessment of the civil penalty prosecution for failure to register such building or buildings. Each day during which the violation continues after the date of conviction shall constitute a separate offense.