Scranton maintains a Registry of Abandoned Real Property under Chapter 360 (Property Maintenance) of the Code of the City of Scranton, defining 'abandoned' as real property in default on a mortgage, with a lis pendens filed, subject to foreclosure, tax deed application, or transferred to a lender via deed in lieu of foreclosure. The abandoned designation continues until the property is transferred or the foreclosure dismissed. Registration is done through tolemi.com/scranton-pa with no fee. All abandoned real properties are subject to ongoing maintenance as required by City ordinances and the property maintenance code. The RENTAL Ordinance of 2022 (Chapter 373, Rental Property) also requires registration of foreclosure/abandoned status for rental units.
Chapter 360's Article on Abandoned Real Property (eCode360 https://ecode360.com/32888444) defines abandoned property to include any real property: (1) in default on a mortgage; (2) with a lis pendens filed against it; (3) subject to an ongoing foreclosure action; (4) subject to a tax deed application; or (5) transferred to a beneficiary or lender under a deed in lieu of foreclosure. The 'abandoned' designation, once recorded, continues until the property is transferred or until the foreclosure action is dismissed by court order. Registration is handled through the Tolemi platform at tolemi.com/scranton-pa (the same vendor used by Allentown and other PA municipalities for property-data tracking). Unlike Erie's $300 semi-annual fee, Scranton's abandoned-property registration does not currently impose a registration fee, but it does subject the property to all maintenance obligations under Chapter 360 and to potential PA Act 90 (53 P.S. Β§6101) permit denial citywide and statewide for the responsible owner or lender. Vacant lots without structures are governed by the general Chapter 360 property-maintenance provisions, which require lots to be maintained free of debris, high grass and weeds, rodent harborage, and accumulated trash; these are among the specifically-named blighting conditions in Chapter 360. The RENTAL Ordinance of 2022 (Chapter 373, eCode360 https://ecode360.com/11606535) also requires rental properties in default/foreclosure status to register through tolemi.com/scranton-pa with no fee while remaining subject to rental-license inspection requirements. The Scranton Redevelopment Authority and the Lackawanna County Land Bank coordinate acquisition of severely blighted parcels through the County Tax Claim Bureau process.
Failure to register an abandoned property or to maintain it to Chapter 360 standards is enforced by the Bureau of Code Enforcement with citation before the Magisterial District Judge (general penalty up to $300 per violation, each day continuing as a separate offense). The City retains the right to perform contractor cleanup of unmaintained vacant lots and lien-back the cost to the property under the PA Municipal Claims Act (53 P.S. Β§7101). PA Act 90 (53 P.S. Β§6111) blocks the owner from receiving City permits, licenses, or approvals statewide until violations are cured. Court conservatorship under the PA Abandoned and Blighted Property Conservatorship Act (68 P.S. Β§1101 et seq.) is available for severely deteriorated structures. Rental units in foreclosure that fail to register through tolemi.com/scranton-pa risk losing the Chapter 373 rental license required to legally rent the unit.
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