(a) In any municipality adopting an ordinance pursuant to section 8-169q, the building official shall certify to the urban homesteading agency (1) all properties which are abandoned, together with a statement as to which structures are suitable for rehabilitation, and (2) all municipally owned properties which are vacant, together with a statement as to which properties are suitable for construction. At least quarterly thereafter the building official shall certify to the urban homesteading agency any changes in the number or condition of the abandoned properties or the vacant municipally owned properties.

(b) Upon receipt of the list of the abandoned properties pursuant to subdivision (1) of subsection (a) of this section, the urban homesteading agency shall serve notice to each owner of such properties by mailing to the owner by certified mail to the last-known address of such owner or in the case of the owner who cannot be identified or whose address is unknown by publishing a copy of such notice in a newspaper having general circulation in the municipality, stating such property has been determined to be abandoned and setting a date for a hearing before the urban homesteading agency, or any hearing examiner appointed by the urban homesteading agency, for the purpose of determining whether the owner is willing and able to rehabilitate or demolish the vacant structure on such abandoned property within a reasonable time. At such hearing the owner may contest the designation of such property as abandoned and such hearing shall be held in the same manner as under sections 4-176e to 4-181, inclusive. A decision rendered by a hearing examiner after such hearing shall be in writing and shall be filed with the urban homesteading agency for its final decision. All decisions of the urban homesteading agency shall be in writing and shall be mailed, by certified mail, return receipt requested, to each owner and to all parties to the proceedings. A decision of the urban homesteading agency may be appealed to the Superior Court in accordance with the provisions of section 4-183.

(c) In the event that an owner fails to appear, either personally or by an attorney, on the date set for the hearing or any adjourned date of such hearing, or in the event the urban homesteading agency, after holding the hearing pursuant to subsection (b) of this section, determines that the owner of such property is not willing or able to rehabilitate or demolish such property within a reasonable time, the urban homesteading agency may recommend to (1) the legislative body of the municipality that the urban homesteading agency be authorized to acquire the property, either by purchase of the property free and clear of any liens for an amount not in excess of fair market value of the land and any improvements thereon as determined by the urban homesteading agency, or by eminent domain, provided all eminent domain proceedings instituted under this part shall be undertaken by the urban homesteading agency in the same manner as under sections 8-129 to 8-133, inclusive, and title to all property acquired pursuant to this subsection shall be held in the name of the municipality; or (2) the building official that he order the structure demolished; or (3) the tax collector, if any liens for real property taxes are due to the municipality against the abandoned property, that he institute tax foreclosure proceedings under chapter 205.

(d) Notwithstanding the provisions of this section an urban homesteading agency may at any time, with the concurrence of the legislative body, accept free and clear title to an abandoned property upon which exists a structure deemed rehabilitable by a building official for such consideration not in excess of fair market value of the land and any improvements on such land as determined by the urban homesteading agency.

(P.A. 75-452, S. 4, 8; P.A. 77-452, S. 48, 72; P.A. 86-405, S. 5, 12; P.A. 88-108, S. 1, 2; 88-317, S. 51, 107.)

History: P.A. 77-452 substituted superior court for court of common pleas in Subsec. (b), effective July 1, 1978; P.A. 86-405 added Subsec. (a)(2), requiring certification of vacant municipally owned properties; P.A. 88-108 amended Subsecs. (c) and (d) to provide that urban homesteading agencies may acquire property for an amount not in excess of the fair market value of the land and any improvements thereon, where previously improvements were expressly excluded; P.A. 88-317 amended reference to Secs. 4-177 to 4-181 in Subsec. (b) to include new sections added to Ch. 54, effective July 1, 1989, and applicable to all agency proceedings commencing on or after that date.