This article shall be known as the "Community Preservation and
Anti-Blight Enforcement Local Law."
It is hereby found and declared that there may exist within
the Town of Islip a number of real properties which are vacant and/or
in a blighted condition that are subject to a mortgage-in-default,
and that the continued existence of such properties negatively affects
the economic well-being of the Town of Islip; adds to the decline
of neighborhoods; and affects the overall health, safety and welfare
of its residents. It is the Town Board's intent to establish a defaulted
mortgage registration program as a mechanism to protect neighborhoods
from becoming blighted through the lack of adequate maintenance and
security of vacant properties subject to a mortgage or properties
subject to mortgages which are in default.
It shall be a violation of this chapter to fail to register
any property as defined by this article.
In the event that a violation is identified, such violation
shall be reported to the owner of record or his designee, as identified
within the property registration application. If the violation is
not corrected within 10 days, the Town of Islip shall take the necessary
action to abate the violation.
A. Failure to comply with this article. Whenever the owners of a property
shall fail to comply with the minimum standards of property maintenance,
the Town Board may authorize the work to be done and shall provide
for the cost thereof to be paid from general Town funds as directed
by resolution of the Town Board, pursuant to the authority provided
under§§ 64 and 130 of the Town Law.
B. Assessment of costs and expenses, liens. All costs and expenses incurred
by the Town in connection with the abatement of a violation of this
article shall be assessed against the subject premises or lot. An
itemization of such costs shall be provided to the Town Board by the
Law Enforcement Department. The total costs and expenses shall then
be determined by the Town Board and shall be reported to the Assessor
of the Town as the amount to be assessed against the premises, and
the expense so assessed shall constitute a lien and charge on the
premises on which it is levied until paid or otherwise satisfied or
discharged and shall be collected in the same manner and at the same
time as other Town charges.
Under New York State Public Officers Law § 87, the
vacant property registry and all vacant property registration forms
shall be exempt from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Law
on the grounds that such disclosure would constitute an unwarranted
invasion of personal privacy. The Commissioner of Public Safety Enforcement
shall institute strict policies to ensure that such information is
available only to Town personnel engaged in the enforcement of the
provisions of this article and, in emergency situations, to members
of law enforcement, the fire service, emergency medical services,
and public utility companies. The information contained in the property
registry and all property registration forms shall not be disclosed
to any party for sale.