A bill for an act relating to recovery of costs for the demolition of abandoned buildings by cities.

HF 2569 allows Iowa cities to recover demolition costs for abandoned buildings from property owners under specific conditions. It requires cities to meet four criteria before recovering costs: the owner failed to demolish after notice, the property is officially abandoned (per §657A.1), property taxes were unpaid for one year, and the property was cited for nuisance issues six times in six months. Cities can seek reimbursement from any owner within the previous five years for demolitions done to address public safety, health, or ongoing nuisance concerns. The bill clarifies that a city’s demolition plan does not prevent a court from granting the city title to the property.