HB5454 - Vacant Residential Building Database Act

• Establishes a Vacant Residential Building Database Program effective July 1, 2013, requiring county assessors to create and maintain databases tracking vacant residential buildings in their counties.

• Requires property owners and mortgagees to submit information about vacant residential buildings to the database within 10 days of learning of the vacancy, including property address, owner information, building condition, and mortgage/foreclosure details.

• Designates all database information as confidential and exempt from Freedom of Information Act disclosure, except for authorized use by assessors, municipalities, counties, and law enforcement for program administration and investigation of illegal activity.

• Requires assessors to submit semi-annual reports to the Governor and General Assembly by May 1 and November 1 each year detailing vacant building registrations, removals, data contributors, and program utilization.

• Makes violations of the act an unlawful practice under the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act by amending Section 2Z to include the Vacant Residential Building Database Act.