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.
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.