New zombie home and vacant property law adopted by the Town of Huntington Board
Under the new town code, vacant homes and commercial properties will have to be registered. Property owners will have to pay fees yearly.
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At a recent Huntington Town Board meeting, a preventive measure meant to address the issue of zombie homes and vacant storefronts within Huntington was approved. The measure, which was originally proposed by Supervisor Chad Lupinacci, involves penalties placed on vacant properties and incentivizes the sale of zombie homes so that new owners would take better care of the properties.
Under the new code, a “zombie home” is any property that’s vacant and neglected for at least 180 days. If the property serves as a neighborhood eyesore and contributes to issues related to public safety, the property owner will have to register the property as vacant and pay a $250 fee for the first year. If the residential property remains vacant, the fee increases to $500 the second year, $750 the third year, and $1,000 for each additional year beyond that.
For commercial properties, the same rules apply, but the fees are higher – $500 the first year of registration, $1,000 the second year, $1,500 the third year, and $2,000 for each additional year of vacancy.
In an announcement of the new local law, Supervisor Lupinacci wrote, “Some of our neighborhoods are suffering from quality of life issues presented by absentee owners who neglect their vacant properties, resulting in neighborhood eyesores or, in the worst case scenario, attract unlawful activities that require law enforcement to step in before the Town can.”
He added, “Now, this Town is giving absentee property owners an incentive to fill their long-abandoned homes and buildings or sell the property to someone who will.”
