Beginning January 1, owners of abandoned buildings in the southern Arizona city of Bisbee will be required to repair those properties or face extensive fines.
Upwards of 450 structures in the city are regarded as either vacant or abandoned, according to media reports, with many of the structures in a dilapidated condition and regarded as potential fire hazards.
The new law, approved as an ordinance last month by the Bisbee City Council, will require that owners bring those structures up to code, or face at least a $750 per day fine.
According to city documents, the fines will be designed to “help cover the associated cost with program administration, and if necessary, hiring contractors, engineers, and when necessary, the demolition of unsafe or hazardous structures.”
The ordinance has not been without its critics. Some property owners have expressed concerns about the financial burden of bringing their troubled structures up to date, while others have complained about what has been viewed as an oppressive bureaucratic approach to the problem, noting that a city building official will have the power to determine the condition of a given structure.
The ordinance also states that the building official will “require registration and submission of a vacant building plan detailing how the property will be maintained, repaired, or secured.”
The issue of what to do about abandoned buildings has been challenging cities everywhere.
This past January, members of the Albuquerque City Council gave their approval to what is called the Downtown Vacant Premises Ordinance which requires owners to register with the city if a building they own has been vacant for at least nine months and to secure the property. Violators can be fined upwards of $500 a day.
In July, the Denver City Council approved a proposal calling for fines of anywhere from $999 to $5,000 per day for the owners of such properties.
December 19, 2025
By Garry Boulard
Photo courtesy of Pixabay
