Bellevue — Ch. 8 Buildings, Housing, and Construction § 8-167
Notice of determination of vacancy; inspection; fee
Operative Text
(a) Determination of vacancy; notice. For buildings the enforcing officer determines to be vacant buildings, notice of the determination of vacancy will be sent to the last taxpayer of record listed on the most recent county tax roll. The notice shall conform to the following: (1) The notice shall specify a date and time on which the owner shall allow for a code compliance inspection of the interior of the vacant building to determine the extent of compliance with village property, building codes, health, fire, water and sewer codes. The owner shall pay the inspection fee as provided in the village fee schedule to the village within 30 days of the inspection. An unpaid fee shall be a lien upon the premises. (2) The notice shall contain a statement of the obligations of the owner of a building determined to be a vacant building, a copy of the registration form the owner is required to file pursuant to this article, and a notice of the owner's right to appeal the enforcing officer's determination. (3) The notice shall be sent first class U.S. mail. Failure of delivery shall not excuse a person from complying with this article. The enforcing officer may personally serve or cause personal service of the notice of determination. Any person making such service shall execute an affidavit attesting to the facts of service. The enforcing officer shall maintain a record of such mailing for each notice of determination sent. (b) Exception for certain properties. The enforcing officer may determine that a building which meets any of the criteria set forth in this section is not to be regulated under this article for a stated period if, upon consideration of reliable, substantiated and sufficient evidence, the enforcing officer determines that regulation of the building under this article would not serve the public health, welfare, and safety and makes written findings in support of the decision of the enforcing officer. The determination shall be in writing and shall state the factual basis for the determination.
Under Bellevue Ch. 8 § 8-167, when an enforcing officer determines that a building is vacant, the most recent taxpayer of record receives a formal written notice sent by first-class mail. That notice must schedule a code compliance inspection of the building's interior, inform the owner of their obligations and registration requirements, and advise them of their right to appeal the determination. The provision also allows the enforcing officer to exempt certain properties from regulation for a defined period if written findings support that regulation would not serve public health, welfare, or safety.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under § 8-167, property owners whose buildings are flagged as vacant should expect a mailed notice specifying an inspection date and time for a code compliance review covering property, building, health, fire, water, and sewer codes. The inspection fee listed in the village fee schedule must be paid within 30 days of the inspection; failure to pay causes the fee to become a lien on the property. Compliant operators also ensure they are registered as required by the article and are aware that failure of mail delivery does not excuse non-compliance with the notice's requirements.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
While § 8-167 primarily governs the relationship between the village and building owners, tenants in or near buildings flagged as vacant may have an interest in understanding that the provision triggers mandatory code compliance inspections covering health, fire, and building standards. If a building you occupy or are considering occupying has been designated vacant under this article, the inspection process under § 8-167 is one mechanism through which code deficiencies may be identified and addressed. Tenant-rights organizations familiar with Bellevue's municipal code can help explain how the vacant building determination and any resulting findings might relate to habitability concerns.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated November 9, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
Effective Timeline
References Out
No outbound references recorded yet for this provision.
References In
Rules and statutes that cite this regulation