Scranton, PA Property Maintenance: Vacant Lot Maintenance (2026)

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. §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.