Semiannual fee for chronically vacant nuisance property, vacant commercial property and vacant unimproved property.
Kansas City Code § 56-583
in effectSec. 56-583. - Semiannual fee for chronically vacant nuisance property, vacant commercial property and vacant unimproved property.
(a) Semiannual fee. This section will become effective 60 days after passage of a simple majority of voters and if the number of votes exceeds the number of votes cast in favor of the ballot question proposing the authorization of the fees provided in this section. The owner of any chronically vacant nuisance property, vacant commercial property or vacant unimproved property, whether registered or not, shall be required to pay a registration fee for each semiannual period in which the director has determined such property to qualify for such fee pursuant to this section.
(1) Notice and fee amounts. The director shall provide notice of such fee to the property owner at the last known address according to the records of the city and the land records of the recorder of deeds of the county wherein the property is located. Such notice shall state that the property has been determined one of the following properties subject to a semiannual fee in the following amount, that the fee can be assessed as a lien on the property if not paid, how the fee can be paid, and the process for appealing the director's determination, if applicable:
a. chronically vacant nuisance property, with a semiannual fee of $200.00;
b. vacant commercial property, with an escalating semiannual fee, per the following schedule, not to exceed a semiannual fee of $1,000.00:
1. First year: $500.00 semiannual fee;
2. Second year: $750.00 semiannual fee;
3. Third year and subsequent years: $1,000.00 semiannual fee;
c. vacant unimproved property, with an escalating semiannual fee, per the following schedule, not to exceed a semiannual fee of $200.00:
1. First year: $100.00 semiannual fee;
2. Second year: $150.00 semiannual fee;
3. Third year and subsequent years: $200.00 semiannual fee.
Upon any initial investigation and determination that such property is chronically vacant nuisance property subject to a fee under this section, the director shall state this determination in a report including their findings and recommendations and the grounds supporting the determination. Within five business days of the director's completion of a written report with findings and a determination that a property is subject to the chronically vacant nuisance property fee, the director shall provide the notice described in paragraph (a)(1) of this section. Notwithstanding paragraphs (a)(1)b. and c. of this section, no semiannual registration fee shall be assessed against any vacant commercial property or vacant unimproved property that is actively listed for sale with a licensed real estate broker for the first 12 months from initial property listing. Such property shall remain subject to all registration requirements of this article, and such owner shall provide proof of an active listing upon registration and renewal pursuant to section 56-572. Upon expiration, cancellation, withdrawal, or termination of such listing, the property shall become subject to the applicable fee schedule established by this section.
(2) Reconsideration and revocation of fee for chronically vacant nuisance property or for financial hardship. Upon notice pursuant to paragraph (a)(1) of this section that a property is subject to a vacant property registration fee described therein, an owner may seek reconsideration and revocation of such fee pursuant to the following procedures:
a. Remedy and reconsideration for chronically vacant nuisance property. Within 30 days of the director notifying the owner that the property is subject to a chronically vacant nuisance property fee pursuant to subparagraph (a)(1)a. of this section, the owner may complete any improvements to the property that may be necessary so that such property ceases to be chronically vacant nuisance property and may request from the director a reinspection of the property and a reconsideration of the levy of such fee.
b. Reconsideration of any registration fee for financial hardship. Property owners deemed subject to any fee pursuant to paragraph (a)(1) of this section may, within 30 days of the director's notification, submit a financial hardship application on a form established by the director. In determining whether the owner is entitled to a financial hardship, the director shall apply the provisions of section 56-582 of this code. An owner who is found to have provided materially false information in a hardship application shall have the waiver rescinded, and the fee shall become immediately due.
The director, upon a timely request for reconsideration, shall investigate and issue a written report with findings and a determination whether the property qualifies for revocation of the fee, either by ceasing to be chronically vacant nuisance property or due to financial hardship, in which case such fee shall be revoked. If the fee is revoked by the director, no such fee shall be assessed and the matter shall be deemed closed for such semiannual period. Within five days of the director's determination upon reconsideration, the city shall notify the property owner of such determination by mail at the last known address according to the records of the city and the land records of the recorder of deeds of the county wherein the property is located. The notice shall state that the fee has or has not been revoked, and, if it has not been revoked, that the fee can be assessed as a lien on the property if not paid, how the fee can be paid, and the process for appealing the reconsideration determination.
(b) Appeal of initial fee determination or reconsideration determination to property maintenance appeals board. Within 30 days of the notification of the initial determination in paragraph (a)(1) of this section, or within 30 days of the reconsideration notification in subparagraph (a)(2) of this section, the owner may appeal such determination to the property maintenance appeals board as provided for in chapter 56, article II, division 6 of this Code. If, on appeal, the determination of the director is reversed, no such fee shall be assessed and the matter shall be deemed closed for such semiannual period.
(c) List of vacant properties. The director shall maintain a list of known chronically vacant nuisance properties, vacant commercial properties and vacant unimproved properties that shall be available to the city fire department and Kansas City police department.
(d) Accrual and assessment of fee. If there is no timely appeal filed or if the director's determination that the property is subject to such fee is affirmed on appeal, the semiannual registration fee shall be levied on the beginning of the second calendar quarter after either the director's determination under paragraph (a)(1) of this section that such fee applies, the director's determination upon reconsideration that such fee shall not be revoked pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of this section, or the property maintenance appeals board's affirmance of either determination on appeal, whichever is later.
(1) Notice of assessment. The registration fee shall be certified by the director to the director of finance as a special assessment represented by a special tax bill against the real property affected.
(2) Liability created; collection; lien; waiver. The special tax bill from the date of its issuance shall be deemed a personal debt against the person or persons who were the owners of record of the property at the time the director determined under paragraph (a)(1) of this section that such fee applies or when the director determined upon reconsideration that such fee shall not be revoked pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of this section. If there was more than one owner of record of the property at such time, they shall be jointly and severally liable for the personal debt. The tax bill shall be paid as provided in section 2-1722 of this code. The city may initiate actions against such owner(s) to collect the personal debt once the special assessment becomes delinquent. After it has been delinquent for one year, the special tax bill shall also be a lien on the property until paid. The lien may be enforced by foreclosure proceedings in the same manner as delinquent real property taxes or by any method appropriate for the enforcement of special assessments generally. The owner of the property against which the assessment was originally made shall be able to redeem the property in a foreclosure proceeding only by presenting payment of all registration fees and penalties and, if such property was assessed a fee as chronically vacant nuisance property, upon presenting evidence that the violations of this code have been cured. Upon bona fide sale of the property to an unrelated party, or upon an order from a court of competent jurisdiction conveying the property to an "organization," as defined in RSMo. section 447.620, or "neighborhood organization" as defined in RSMo. section 82.1027, the lien shall be considered released and the delinquent registration fee forgiven. Unrelated party shall mean a person or entity that is not a related party as defined under section 267(b) of the Internal Revenue Code. The city manager is authorized to discharge any portion of such special tax bill pursuant to review of the city's lien waiver committee in accordance with the provisions of section 48-83 of this code.
(Ord. No. 260401, § 1, 7-30-26)
Source: City of Kansas City, Missouri, Code of Ordinances, Charter and Zoning and Development Code (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/mo/kansas_city/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COORKAMIVOII_CH56PRMACO_ARTVIREVAPRFOPR_S56-583SEFECHVANUPRVACOPRVAUNPRFetched: 10/28/2026