Clarifying how municipalities may deal with dilapidated structures.

HB 3296 clarifies and strengthens how West Virginia municipalities can address dilapidated or abandoned properties. The bill allows municipalities to locate owners of such properties and report non-compliance to credit agencies, potentially affecting the owner's credit rating. It also requires property owners to cover the costs of demolishing unsafe structures instead of municipalities bearing those expenses. This directly affects property owners of unsafe buildings and local governments responsible for public safety.