ANNE C. WALKER, Chief Clerk
AN ACT
To repeal sections 447.620 and 447.622, RSMo Supp. 1999, relating to rehabilitation of abandoned properties by certain organizations, and to enact in lieu thereof two new sections relating to the same subject.
Section A. Sections 447.620 and 447.622, RSMo Supp. 1999, are repealed and two new sections enacted in lieu thereof, to be known as sections 447.620 and 447.622, to read as follows:
447.620. As used in sections 447.620 to 447.640, the following terms mean:
(1) "Housing code", a local building, fire, health, property maintenance, nuisance or other ordinance which contains standards regulating the condition or maintenance of residential buildings;
(2) "Last known address", the address where the property is located or the address as listed in the property tax records;
(3) ["Low- or moderate-income housing", housing for persons and families who lack the amount of income necessary to rent or purchase adequate housing without financial assistance, as defined by such income limits as shall be established by the Missouri housing development commission for the purposes of determining eligibility under any program aimed at providing housing for low- and moderate-income families or persons;
(4)] "Municipality", any incorporated city, town or village;
[(5)] (4) "Nuisance", any property which because of its physical condition or use is a public nuisance or any property which constitutes a blight on the surrounding area or any property which is in violation of the applicable housing code such that it constitutes a substantial threat to the life, health or safety of the public. For purposes of sections 447.620 to 447.640, any declaration of a public nuisance by a municipality pursuant to an ordinance adopted pursuant to sections 67.400 to 67.450, RSMo, shall constitute prima facie evidence that the property is a nuisance;
[(6)] (5) "Organization", any Missouri not for profit organization validly organized pursuant to law and whose purpose includes the provision or enhancement of housing opportunities in its community;
[(7)] (6) "Parties in interest", any owner or owners of record, occupant, lessee, mortgagee, trustee, personal representative, agent or other party having an interest in the property as shown by the land records of the recorder of deeds of the county wherein the property is located, except in any municipality contained wholly or partially within a county with a population of over six hundred thousand and less than nine hundred thousand, "parties in interest" shall mean owners, lessees, mortgagees or lienholders whose interest has been recorded or filed in the public records;
[(8)] (7) "Rehabilitation", the process of improving the property, including, but not limited to, bringing the property into compliance with the applicable housing code.
447.622. Any organization may petition to have property declared abandoned pursuant to the provisions of sections 447.620 to 447.640 and for temporary possession of such property, if:
(1) The property has been continuously unoccupied by persons legally entitled to possession for at least one month prior to the filing of the petition; and
(2) The taxes are delinquent on the property; and
(3) The property is a nuisance; and
(4) The organization intends to rehabilitate the property [and use the property as low- or moderate-income
housing].
Missouri House
of Representatives