St. Paul continues vacant building fee appeal to December

Overview

Updated 5 days ago

A Thurmond Real Estate Holdings LLC building at 372 Aurora Avenue has sat empty, and Saint Paul billed the company $5,410 for the year under its vacant building program. The company appealed the resulting special assessment.

After an October 13 hearing, Deputy Legislative Hearing Officer Joanna Zimny continued the appeal to December 8 so city staff can review permit timelines and related records. The $5,410 rate is the highest the city charges for a vacant building, after the City Council voted in May to raise the fees.

Why it matters

The outcome may set precedent for whether Saint Paul credits city permit delays before charging $5,410 vacancy fees to owners.

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Key Indicators

$5,410

Annual vacant building fee

Assessed against Thurmond Real Estate Holdings for 372 Aurora Avenue

47 days

Until next hearing

From October 22 to the December 8, 2026 hearing

Voices

Curated perspectives — historical figures and your fellow readers.

People Involved

Joanna Zimny

Deputy Legislative Hearing Officer, City of Saint Paul

Presiding over the 372 Aurora Avenue fee appeal

Organizations Involved

Thurmond Real Estate Holdings LLC

Real estate holding company

Appealing a $5,410 vacant building assessment

Owns the vacant building at 372 Aurora Avenue in Saint Paul.

City of Saint Paul Department of Safety and Inspections

City department

Administering the vacant building program and reviewing the appeal

Runs Saint Paul's vacant building registration and fee program.

Timeline

October 2026 December 2026

4 events Latest: October 14th, 2026 · 1 week ago

Tap a bar to jump to that date

December 2026
Renewed hearing scheduled on the appeal
Upcoming Upcoming

The council or hearing officer will take up the appeal after staff finish their permit timeline review.
December 8th, 2026
October 2026
Appeal continued to December 8
Latest Legal

Deputy Hearing Officer Joanna Zimny moved the case to December 8 for staff review of permit timelines and related information.
October 14th, 2026
Hearing held on $5,410 vacant building fee appeal
Legal

Thurmond Real Estate Holdings LLC argued its appeal of the assessment before the legislative hearing officer.
October 13th, 2026
City Council adopts amended vacant building assessment roll
Legal

The council approved a report on vacant building registration fees billed from August 2025 to May 2026 and set an October 28 public hearing on levying the unpaid charges as assessments. The resolution amended a September 2 version after mailing notices were missed.
October 7th, 2026

Scenarios

St. Paul council cuts vacant building fee

Possible Resolves by Dec 15, 2026

Discussed by: Pattern from the 2025 Hague Avenue case, where staff recommended halving the assessment

DSI staff finish their review and find city permitting delays kept 372 Aurora Avenue vacant. They recommend a partial reduction. The council agrees, cutting the $5,410 fee to a lower amount, possibly around half, and the owner pays, ending the appeal.

Council upholds full $5,410 assessment

Possible Resolves by Dec 15, 2026

Discussed by: City staff, if permit review finds no city delay

Staff find the owner failed to register or pay on time and the building sat empty due to the owner's own inaction. The council affirms the full $5,410 as a special assessment, and the fee stands.

Appeal withdrawn or settled before hearing

Unlikely Resolves by Dec 8, 2026

Discussed by: No public signal; included for completeness

Thurmond Real Estate Holdings and the city reach a private settlement, or the owner withdraws the appeal before the December hearing. The case closes without a council vote on the fee.

Historical Context

One moment from history that rhymes with this story — and how it unfolded.

August 2025

Hague Avenue vacant building fee appeal (2025)

Owners of 1350 Hague Avenue appealed a $5,075 vacant building assessment, telling the council that Department of Safety and Inspections staff had told them to ignore registration letters. Staff recommended halving the assessment to $2,537.

Then

The council laid the matter over to September 10, 2025, for additional documentation.

Now

Established a template where Saint Paul considers partial fee reductions when owners show staff guidance or delays played a role.

Why this matters now

Shows Saint Paul has moved to reduce vacancy fees in response to owner claims about city practices, a possible model for the 372 Aurora Avenue appeal.