Springfield, OR Property Maintenance: Property Blight (2026)

Springfield Municipal Code section 5.003 gives the city manager authority over structures that fall into disrepair or sit vacant. Section 5.003(2) prohibits occupying a structure that is a secured building, partially constructed, abandoned, unfit for human habitation, an unsafe structure, or one the city manager has ordered vacated, with each term defined in section 5.003(1); an unsafe structure, for example, is one dangerous to life, health, or safety because it lacks fire safeguards or is so damaged or dilapidated that partial or complete collapse is possible.

When the city manager orders a structure vacated, section 5.003(6) requires the person responsible to register it within 10 calendar days, disclosing the property's ownership, expected vacancy period, a maintenance plan, and a plan for re occupancy or demolition, with any change in that information reported within 30 days. Registered structures carry a nonrefundable quarterly fee of $150, or a higher amount set by council resolution, under section 5.003(7), and a payment more than 30 days late draws an additional $100 penalty; fees must be paid before the city will issue any demolition, alteration, or repair permit.

Section 5.003(8) lets the city manager waive fees once all delinquent amounts are paid, a repair or demolition timeline is approved, permits are obtained, and the owner authorizes the city to enforce trespass laws on the property. If the owner still fails to act, section 5.003(9) allows the city manager to apply to Municipal Court for an order requiring demolition, with the court weighing factors like dilapidation, structural defects noted by the building official, fire hazards, and any history of unlawful activity at the site; if demolition is ordered and the owner does not start it within 30 days, the city may demolish the structure itself and assess the cost under section 5.014.