A Neglected Building Registration Program is now in effect in La Vista.

Under the direction of the Community Development Department, this program will require owners of vacant and neglected houses to fix them and get them occupied.

Over the years, houses that are damaged by fire or a collision, for example, have remained vacant and neglected for long periods of time, raising safety and other concerns from neighbors.

This new program makes changes to the city code to require owners of these properties to register the property with the City, pay a $500 registration fee and submit a plan and timetable for repairing these homes and getting them occupied.

A neglected building is a residential building that is unoccupied and one or more of the following also applies:

• Code violations within the last six months
• Unsecured for 30 days or more
• Significant damage and is uninhabitable and efforts to repair are not evident within 60 days of the damage
• It has been declared a nuisance
• It has been declared as a dangerous building
• Sustained substantial deterioration due to lake of maintenance and the owner has failed to comply with previous notices to correct violations of city code

If a registered property is not repaired and ready to be occupied within 90 days, the City can require the owner to re-register and pay additional fees and penalties until the problems are fixed.

The Chief Building Official is responsible for enforcing the program. Property owners who fail to comply may face the possibility of fines and other penalties.

For more information about this program, contact the Community Development Department, 402-593-6400.

View a copy of the ordinance creating the program (PDF).