Taunton, MA Property Maintenance: Vacant Lot Maintenance (2026)

Chapter 350, Article II applies to vacant and foreclosing residential property in Taunton, defined in § 350-9 as any property that isn't currently legally occupied and isn't properly maintained or secured. Section 350-10 requires the owner, including any lender, trustee or service company, to register the property with the Building Commissioner on the city's forms, giving a phone number and mailing address inside Massachusetts that isn't a post office box. If the property sits vacant, the registration must also name a local individual or local property-management company, with its own name, phone number and local mailing address, who takes responsibility for the property's security and maintenance.

Registration for a property already in foreclosure is due within seven days of the initiation of the foreclosure process; if the Commissioner independently finds the property vacant with no foreclosure underway, registration is due within 14 days of the Commissioner's first citation for improper maintenance. Registration runs for one calendar year and costs a $100 annual fee, with renewals due within 30 days of expiration. Section 350-11 layers on an ongoing maintenance duty: the property must be kept up to the relevant sanitary and building codes and local rules on external and visible maintenance, and the designated local owner, individual or management company has to physically inspect and maintain the property every month for as long as it stays vacant.

The Building Commissioner has standing authority under § 350-12 to inspect any registered property and issue citations, and aggrieved owners can appeal a Commissioner decision administratively and then to court under § 350-14.