Haverhill, MA Property Maintenance: Property Blight (2026)

Chapter 122, Article I, Vacant and Foreclosing Residential Properties, adopted 6-4-2013 by Doc. 63, requires every owner, including lenders, trustees and service companies, of vacant or foreclosing residential, commercial or industrial property in Haverhill to properly maintain it and prevent blight, with the Health and Inspection Services Department and Building Inspector jointly overseeing the program under MGL c. 143, § 3 and the State Building Code. Section 122-2 defines vacant as any property not legally occupied for more than 90 days, excluding an owner temporarily away such as on vacation.

Section 122-3 requires registration with the Building Inspector stating the owner's phone number and mailing address, no post office boxes, certifying whether the property is vacant, and, if so, naming a local individual or property management company within 20 driving miles responsible for securing and maintaining it. Registration for a property already in foreclosure must be filed within seven days of the initiation of the foreclosure process; if the Building Inspector independently determines a property is vacant with no foreclosure filed, registration is due within 14 days of the first maintenance citation.

Registration costs $250 annually, renewing every January 1, though a personal representative of an estate gets a 120-day grace period and no fee, and Inspectional Services may waive the fee for demonstrated financial hardship. Section 122-4 requires monthly inspection by the local contact and a posted sign with a 24-hour contact number visible from the street, subject to limited waiver by the Building Inspector. Section 122-6 punishes failure to register, failure to name a local contact, or failure to maintain the property with a fine of up to $300 per violation, with each week of continued violation a separate offense, treated as strict liability regardless of intent, and unpaid fines over 90 days become a lien on the property.