DENVER — Denver is rolling out new rules this month designed to address neglected properties more quickly, with significantly steeper penalties for owners who fail to act.
There are 240 derelict properties across the city and county, according to Denver's Community Planning and Development (CPD) department.
What is a neglected and derelict property?
Under Denver Revised Municipal Code Section 10-140, every property owner is responsible for the care of their property and any buildings on it. According to CPD, it has authority to designate a property as neglected and derelict when specific conditions exist:
- A building on the property is unsafe, as defined by the Denver building code.
- A building has not been lawfully occupied for three consecutive months, is wholly or partially boarded up, and shows no evidence of substantial, ongoing construction activity.
- The property is not lawfully occupied and has had 3 separate violations of city or state law within a two-year period.
- The property is not lawfully occupied and a distraint warrant has been issued for unpaid taxes.
- The property has been designated a neighborhood nuisance due to inadequate maintenance, dilapidation, obsolescence or similar conditions that pose a danger to public health, safety or welfare.
What happens after a property is designated?
Under the updated regulations, owners are now required to meet with the city within 30 days of the designation.
According to CPD, owners may resolve a neglected and derelict property designation through one of the following outcomes:
- Rehabilitate the property and bring it back into legal occupancy.
- Sell the property — CPD will work directly with the new owner on remediation.
- Demolish the structure.
- For vacant land, demonstrate the property has remained violation-free for six months.
So what's new?
Property owners who fail to comply with an order of designation or miss the new required meeting will face steeper fines, according to CPD.
James Hicks with Denver's Community Planning and Development said that $5,000 fine could come every two weeks, a dramatic shift from the old enforcement system, which allowed for just $1,000 per year and had a $15,000 cap.
"For some of these property owners, that's the cost of doing business," Hicks explained. "And so that was not having the intended impact that we wanted."
Under the new rules, the city can also charge up to $5,000 per response for police or fire when three or more calls occur within a six-month period.
"These properties are drags on our neighborhoods. They are dangerous in some cases," Hicks said.
Some of the problem properties
On York Street in Denver's City Park neighborhood, one boarded-up home with broken windows, overgrown weeds, and graffiti illustrates the problem.
Neighbor Turpana Molina, who lives next door, said the property has only gotten worse over time — with squatters starting fires and drug use occurring inside.
"It's an eyesore," Molina said. "It's concerning to have anybody in there when it's in that state."
Molina said the impact extends beyond just one property.
"We want the whole neighborhood to be safe and beautiful and well maintained, so that affects it," Molina said.
Denver7 also visited 46th Ave. and Gaylord St. near the city's Globeville and Elyria-Swansea neighborhoods. Hicks said it's one of the city's top priorities — where three boarded-up homes take up half a city block.
► Watch Claire Lavezzorio's report in the video below:
For neighbors like Molina, he hopes the new penalties will finally motivate property owners to take action.
"Hopefully, that speeds up the process," he said. "That is something that seemed to be quite slow."
City officials say the ultimate goal is getting these properties turned around, back on the market, and ready for new move-ins.
How to report a neglected property
To report a neglected property in your neighborhood, dial 3-1-1, text "hello" to 439311 (HEY311) or visit 311 City Services [denvergov.org].
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