Sec. 91.114. - Procedure to request that a fine or lien imposed pursuant to Section 91.107 be reduced; conditions and criteria therefore.

(a) The owner or a prospective purchaser of real property against which a fine or lien has been imposed pursuant to Section 91.107 may apply to the Director of Neighborhoods, through the Municipal Code Compliance Division for a satisfaction of such fine or lien with less than full payment thereof. The Chief of the Municipal Code Compliance Division is authorized to establish the forms and procedures necessary for an application to be considered. No such application shall be forwarded to the Special Magistrate for consideration hereunder until the applicant has first shown that: (1) All ad valorem property taxes, special assessments, City utility charges and other government-imposed liens against the subject real property have been paid; (2) The applicant is not personally indebted to the City for any reason; and (3) All Code violations have been corrected under required permits issued therefore, or as set forth in subsection (b), a prospective purchaser has entered into an agreement to have such violations corrected by a date certain has been executed. (b) In considering an application to reduce a fine or lien imposed pursuant to Section 91.107 , Ordinance Code, no settlement or satisfaction thereof shall be approved by the Special Magistrate with less than full payment thereof, unless the Special Magistrate shall make specific findings that no violation of any City ordinance exists on the subject real property, or in the case where a prospective purchaser has agreed to correct such violations on or before a date certain, which agreement is evidenced by a written agreement satisfactory to the Office of General Counsel. (c) The Special Magistrate shall utilize the standards and criteria set forth in the Policy in making all determinations as to whether or not to approve or deny a request for settlement or cancellation of a lien imposed under this Chapter. (d) The balance of any fine or lien imposed pursuant to Section 91.07, Ordinance Code, that is reduced by the Special Magistrate shall be paid in such terms as approved by the Director of the Neighborhoods Department. (e) If the property for which an application for a fine or lien reduction or cancellation is being considered is owned by the government or any quasi-governmental entity, the Special Magistrate may reduce or cancel such fine or lien even if the violation has not been corrected. (f) Where property has been abandoned, is heavily encumbered with fines and/or liens and constitutes a blighting influence, the Director of Finance and Administration, with the concurrence of the Director of the Neighborhoods Department, shall be authorized to extinguish the fine or lien in consideration for the rehabilitation of the property to conform with the minimum standards of Chapter 518 , Ordinance Code. The extinguishment of the fine and/or lien shall in no circumstance take effect until the property has been rehabilitated to the satisfaction of the Director of the Neighborhoods Department. (Ord. 2006-631-E, § 3; Ord. 2011-732-E; Ord. 2013-209-E, § 40; Ord. 2016-140-E , § 16) Editor's note— Ordinance 2007-839-E, § 18, authorized updated department/division names pursuant to reorganization.