Presque Isle Landlords Fight Vacant-Building Fines of Up to $2,500 a Day
The city dropped its registry and fees, but one landlord calls the new $100-to-$2,500 daily fines government overreach ahead of an April 1 vote.
Presque Isle city councilors are expected to vote on April 1 on a scaled-back vacant building ordinance after landlords and developers objected to the first version, the Bangor Daily News reported.
The February draft would have made owners register a property as vacant within 60 days of a sale or a tenant's departure, with fees of $200 to $500 covering the first six months that could rise to five times those amounts after 18 months. It had no exceptions for seasonal or short-term vacancies. City Manager Sonja Eyler has said the city needs to know which buildings sit empty to anticipate future break-ins and other public safety strains.
The revised version drops the registry and fees and exempts seasonal and temporary vacancies. It would let the code enforcement officer fine owners $100 to $2,500 a day if, 30 days after a violation notice, a property still has unsecured doors or windows, structural disrepair, or excessive debris, vegetation or vermin. It does not say how the amount would be set.
Chris Carroll, president of Carroll Management Group, said the new draft still carries "a significant risk for abuse and government overreach." Adam Bindar, whose company owns about 70 properties between Houlton and Caribou, called it more reasonable but said he dislikes added regulation. Eric Cassidy of Cassidy Property Management has questioned how the rules would treat developers with longer-range plans, a concern the latest draft does not address.
This story was first reported by Bangor Daily News.
