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RELEVANT LINKS: <br /> <br />League of Minnesota Cities Information Memo: 6/22/2016 <br />Securing Payment of Utility Charges Page 33 <br /> <br /> C. Vacant properties <br />Minn. Stat. § 582.031. <br />Minn. Stat. § 582.03, subd.1. <br />Minn. Stat. §582.032. <br />Vacant properties in the foreclosure process pose additional challenges to <br />cities. Cities, working with their city attorney, may take court action to <br />speed up the foreclosure process, shortening it to five weeks. If a city <br />chooses to do this, it may recover costs for bringing the court action. <br />Minn. Stat. § 582.031, subd. <br />3. <br />Minn. Stat. § 582.032, subd. <br />4. <br /> <br />Typically, a bank or other financial entity holds the mortgage on vacant <br />property (until it is sold at a sheriff’s sale). Mortgage holders may take <br />steps to protect vacant property known as “preventing waste” and includes <br />installing or changing locks on doors and windows, boarding windows, <br />installing an alarm system, providing a resident caretaker, and otherwise <br />preventing or minimizing damage to the premises from the elements, <br />vandalism, trespass, or other illegal activities. Mortgage holders may take <br />action to prevent property from falling below minimum community <br />standards for public safety and sanitation and may add all these costs to the <br />principal balance of the mortgage. <br />Minn. Stat. § 582.031, subd. <br />3. <br />Minn. Stat. § 582.03. <br />After someone buys the mortgage and vacant property at the sheriff’s sale <br />(towards the end of the foreclosure proceedings) that person has a limited <br />right to enter the property to make reasonable inspections and prevent <br />damage (or waste) to the property but is not required to do so. The holder <br />of a sheriff’s certificate may also take steps to prevent the property from <br />falling below minimum community standards for public safety and <br />sanitation. City utilities and city officials may work with sellers and buyers <br />of foreclosed and vacant properties to secure and maintain the property. <br />Minn. Stat. § 429.101, subd. <br />1(12). A city may establish a program, by ordinance, to identify and register <br />vacant buildings. The city may charge a fee for the program and specially <br />assess the property to recover any unpaid fees associated with the <br />identification and registration of vacant properties. <br /> D. Abandoned properties <br />Minn. Stat. § 582.032. In some situations, the foreclosure proceedings may take only five weeks <br />from the date of the sheriff’s sale, rather than six months, if a judge finds <br />that a property has been abandoned. City officials (building inspector, <br />zoning administrator, housing official, or other municipal or county official <br />having jurisdiction over the mortgaged premises) may work with mortgage <br />holders to establish that a particular property is not actually occupied and <br />therefore abandoned. The court looks at a number of factors to determine if <br />the property is abandoned, including: