San Jose has exercised its power to fine owners of blighted properties, but they are now boosting fines to as high as $10,000 per day, saying previous fines weren't strong enough to prompt action.

The old church in downtown San Jose, across from St. James Park, is actually what started the city's conversation about chronic blight. It's owned by a Chinese investment company, and there hasn't been much of an effort in terms of rehabilitation, redevelopment, or even selling the property.

That's why the city is now saying increased fines could force property owners to finally clean up their act.

"I have one here, and I have one behind me, and all they are doing is bringing down the value of our homes here," said longtime San Jose resident John Ray Tapi.

He is talking about blighted properties, and he said he is surrounded by them. There is a boarded-up, abandoned house on the backside of his property and a burned-out home next door.

It was once abandoned and boarded up as well, but he said unhoused residents moved in and accidentally set it on fire about three years ago.

"I'd like to see them fix it up, and someone else using it," said Tapia.

He said he even offered to buy the property from the owner, but the owner refused to sell and left the property sitting as it is for years.

"It's unsightly, and it doesn't look good for the neighborhood," said Tapia.

That's exactly why the San Jose City Council decided to increase the fines for property owners who refuse to clean up their lots. The new ordinance allows a maximum fine of $10,000 per day with a maximum of $500,000 a year — the highest fine amount in the state.

"We are already hurling fines at them, but a lot of these individuals, property owners are quite wealthy or live overseas, and so they treat these minor fines essentially like a cost of doing business," said San Jose Council Member Peter Ortiz.

He said many of the issues are happening in his district in East San Jose, but that there are sites all over the city that are chronic eyesores.

"If you don't want to maintain your property and you're OK with having blighted buildings and fires and trash, we are going to push you to sell it to someone else who will maintain it, and make use of it. We need housing. We want jobs," said San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan.

Lifelong San Jose resident Robert Tenore agrees and said the Former Church of Christ Scientist should be first on the city's list. The property was left abandoned for years after failed plans for restoration as well as redevelopment.

"There's plenty of people that could benefit from this being restored and improved upon, and for decades it seems now, it's just been, it's just been neglected," said Tenore.

Council Member Ortiz said this really is supposed to be a tool of last resort for chronic offenders. He said the intention is not to penalize property owners who might be having a temporary issue they're trying to resolve.