Vacant Property Ordinance

After South Chicago Heights updated its Vacant Buildings and Foreclosed Properties Ordinance in 2021, the Village’s building inspector evaluated all buildings in the village which showed evidence of vacancy and made determinations of which were to be determined “vacant buildings,” and thus subject to the regulations of the ordinance. Notices of the determinations were then sent to the last taxpayer of record to be listed on the Cook County tax roll for each property. The notice contained a statement of the obligations of the owner of the building, a copy of the registration form that the owner is required to file with the Village, and a notice of the owner’s right to appeal the building director’s determination.

Of the building owner’s obligations is a code compliance inspection of the building’s interior, which the notice provides a time and date for, and the applicable fee to be paid within 30 days of the inspection. Inspection fee amounts vary depending on the type of building; $175 for single-family dwellings, $175 + $25 per unit for two-family dwellings, and $200 + $25 per unit for multifamily buildings with three or more dwellings or commercial/industrial buildings. Additionally, if re-inspection is needed, the owner is charged a $50 fee. The owner must also register the property with the building director and pay the annual vacant building registration fee of $300 for as long as the building remains vacant, obtain liability insurance for as long as the building remains vacant, submit a vacant building plan, secure and maintain the building in compliance with Village code, and post signage outside of the building with the name, address and telephone number of the property owner.

The Village has adopted a dual philosophy to its code enforcement work; it is intentional about sending a serious message to owners but also understands that enforcement is a balancing act. The Village is open to working with responsible parties who are acting in good faith and often realize that taking a hardline approach is not the best solution in trying to stabilize a property and its surrounding neighborhood.

While the Buildings Department offers a high degree of flexibility for owners that need time to bring their properties up to code, if owners are not responsive, citations are issued up to $750 per violation per day. In the case of non-compliant properties, the Public Works Department is dispatched to perform necessary maintenance services. Since South Chicago Heights is a non-home rule municipality— which mandates that they defer to county and state law on matters such as taxing, incurring debt, and licensing— they cannot lien for citations and are only able to lien properties for Village services. The Buildings Department also keeps detailed files that include records of citations, pictures of violations, and pertinent contact information to ensure that properties are maintained and do not fall back into disrepair; and this record-keeping has proved to be vital to the ongoing success of the program.