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Cliff Rohrabacher
11-17-2007, 9:56 AM
Foreclosed properties in neighborhoods can be an issue making the neighborhood and even the whole town look awful and attract unwanted elements.

If you have 'em or know someone who does ~ ~ ~ ~

Some folks say that the easiest thing to do is to maintain them yourselves mowing the lawns trimming the hedges etc. Maybe. I think that is mistake. Once a property is foreclosed the Bank owns it. It is the Bank's job to maintain it according to law.

The new owner must - at law - maintain it. You have local, state, and the Fed BOCCA codes that all work to create a statutory scheme that requires home owners to effect certain basic maintainance performance such as mowing the lawns clearing sidewalks etc.

If the bankers are not taking care of the properties and they are dragging the neighborhoods down, go to your local code enforcement officers. It's their job to correct these things.

If the Banks blow 'em off the towns can assess fines. If he fines are not stiff enough you can vote as a municipality to raise 'em so they are high enough that the banks will have incentive to mow lawns and trim hedges. If the fines are not paid the town can foreclose and auction the property off to a local owner for the mere cost of the unpaid fines.
Somehow I don't see the banks allowing that all to happen. I think they will mow and trim.

If the Municipal officers won't cooperate and enforce local laws you can take the issue to the state AG or pool some money and get an attorney who knows how to use the power of Mandamus (or an Action in Lieu of Prerogative Writ) to force local authorities to do their jobs. Then of course you gotta vote the bums out next election.

mark page
11-17-2007, 10:11 AM
Not exactly the same situation, but I have two vacant undeveloped lots next to my home. With the national housing market down, I look for them to stay undeveloped for the next several years. Weeds, growth, etc has been a problem on them for the four years since my home was built. After spending several thousand dollars for weed control in my yard over the years, since the weeds go to seed and blow in my yard, I finally got fed up with it. A call to city hall was in order, and within two days, the developer was out mowing & cleaning the lots. Guess I have to look forward next year to calling city hall appx once a month. There are city ordinances that regulate things like this, and usually a phone call to the right people/department will get the ball rolling. I live in a smaller city, so I guess the red tape unrolls faster and stickier than a larger metro area.

Brian Elfert
11-18-2007, 11:23 AM
I wouldn't be suprised if the developer also isn't paying the property taxes either. Most developers are cutting cash spending every way possible in today's new housing market.

I've been looking on and off for a lot to build a new house. (Really should sell mine first.) A lot of the lots when checked online with the county are behind at least one payment on taxes. I guess they pay just enough to keep ahead of a tax deliquency sale.