<div dir="auto"><div><br><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">---------- Forwarded message ---------<br>From: <strong class="gmail_sendername" dir="auto">Ashley Stuart</strong> <span dir="auto"><<a href="mailto:Ashley.Stuart@okhouse.gov">Ashley.Stuart@okhouse.gov</a>></span><br>Date: Wed, Jul 14, 2021, 1:55 PM<br>Subject: RE: 2014 House Bill 2620<br>To: Alyssa McCleery <<a href="mailto:newkirkmainstreet@gmail.com">newkirkmainstreet@gmail.com</a>><br></div><br><br>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1f497d">Hello!<u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1f497d">Please see the below response from our research staff, please let me know if this helps or if you need more clarification!<u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1f497d">Taking the questions in order, the best I can…<u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<p class="m_8803045945256017242MsoListParagraph"><u></u><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1f497d"><span>1)<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><u></u><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1f497d">The measure did pass, signed into law by Gov. Fallin on 5/23/2014.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="m_8803045945256017242MsoListParagraph"><u></u><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1f497d"><span>2)<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><u></u><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1f497d">The measure is about 6 pages of new law, not amending preexisting statute, and is codified as Sections 22-110.1 and 22-112.4 of Title 11. There were
3 sections in HB2620, but only 2 with actual law, each given a different section number.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="m_8803045945256017242MsoListParagraph"><u></u><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1f497d"><span>3)<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><u></u><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1f497d">Section 22-110.1 does prohibit a municipality from enforcing, through fees or fines or criminal penalties, any form of rule or ordinance requiring registration
of real property. The section goes on to carve out exceptions, including that nothing in the act prohibits a municipality from creating a list of property owners or designees, or from enacting and enforcing rules to require property owners to comply with occupancy
standards.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="m_8803045945256017242MsoListParagraph"><u></u><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1f497d"><span>4)<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><u></u><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1f497d">The next section of the measure, now at Section 22-112.4 of Title 11, goes into abandoned buildings, public nuisance, and abatement of the nuisance.
This section seems to rely on a building being abandoned, which may not apply in cases mentioned below where a building is being used for storage.
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1f497d">There is a possible path forward for the situation mentioned below, with historic buildings being unutilized and in disrepair. Section 22-112 seems to allow a
municipal governing body to declare a structure to constitute a public nuisance. That provision does not appear to have any requirements about the building’s state of disrepair or use/lack of use. If the building is completely abandoned, or has not had proper
repairs done and constitutes a safety hazard, the municipality can declare it a nuisance.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1f497d">At that point the municipality can avail itself of the other provisions of 22-112.4. Abatement procedures allowed by this statute include assessments against
the property and against the owner, of actual costs of regulatory action taken or of any police or fire protection actions taken. The city can also assess for other actual expenses incurred, including notices, mailings, and publications. If assessments are
not paid in full, the city can place a lien on the property. The abatement, and charges/fees/assessments incurred to the owner for that abatement, can continue until the building is removed from the city’s abandoned building list.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1f497d">An owner or mortgage holder of a building on an abandoned building list can petition the municipality for removal, which then requires a hearing to determine
if the building is no longer abandoned. If the building is no longer abandoned, the owner is still liable for payment of any and all abatement costs prior to the determination, and the building isn’t removed from the list until those costs are paid in full.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1f497d">So, the bottom line here is that the statute identified does prohibit fees, fines or criminal penalties being used to require *<b>registration</b>* of real property,
after an attempt by Oklahoma City to build a database of vacant properties paid for by fees, but specifically does not prohibit the municipality from creating a list of property owners. Municipal governments are also still allowed to enforce occupancy standards,
building codes, etc., and can do so by rule or ordinance. There are also options in between “do nothing” and “condemn and tear down.”<u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">From:</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> Alyssa McCleery <<a href="mailto:newkirkmainstreet@gmail.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">newkirkmainstreet@gmail.com</a>>
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<b>Sent:</b> Monday, July 12, 2021 5:23 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> Ashley Stuart <<a href="mailto:Ashley.Stuart@okhouse.gov" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">Ashley.Stuart@okhouse.gov</a>><br>
<b>Subject:</b> 2014 House Bill 2620<u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<p><strong><span style="color:red">[EXTERNAL - This message is from a source outside of the Oklahoma House of Representatives network.]</span></strong><u></u><u></u></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Hi Ashley!<u></u><u></u></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">I was hoping you could provide some clarity on the 2014 House Bill 2620. If I am understanding this correctly, it did pass and is listed as 11 OK Stat § 11-22-110.1 (2020). Under this statute, a municipality may not pass an ordinance that
would cause the owner of a vacant building to be levied a fee/fine for the building continuing to remain vacant? It seems that if I am comprehending, the only resolution a municipality has for a vacant building is to declare it abandoned/dilapidated and tear
it down. <u></u><u></u></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">As a Main Street director, I am sure you can understand that I find this heartbreaking as our community starts investigating avenues to discourage the use of our historic buildings as "storage units". I currently have a list of approximately
a half a dozen individuals that would like to start a business in the Newkirk Main Street district but I, unfortunately, do not have any property to offer them due to owner neglect and/or underutilization.<u></u><u></u></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Thank you in advance for any guidance you can provide on this matter.<u></u><u></u></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Sincerely, <u></u><u></u></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><img width="96" height="59" style="width:1.0in;height:.6145in" id="m_8803045945256017242_x0000_i1025" src="https://docs.google.com/uc?export=download&id=1gMBenV9sSZpM-2cKHZOVy_f5-V2aWQ5B&revid=0B6gVmC4tbyn3NVhCVXVzay9HeVA2MWJPWjVyOTFwcVorVlgwPQ"><u></u><u></u></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Alyssa Winner McCleery</span><u></u><u></u></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Program Director</span><u></u><u></u></p>
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