The author writes:
"Cities deal with the vacant foreclosures as best they can.
Many turn to
anti-blight ordinances to try to force the banks that own the foreclosures to
take care of them - mow the lawns, board up windows and doors - or face stiff
fines if they don't. A California bill enacted in September (SB1137) allows
municipalities to charge lenders $1,000 a day for failing to maintain foreclosed
properties; some cities already have similar anti-blight provisions in place. "
Considering our economic situation locally, it is important to look at what other communities are doing about these problems and see what we can do in Janesville to be proactive about fighting both the foreclosures and especially the potential blight and crime.
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2 comments:
Please be reasonable. Sometimes the best intentions have bad unintended consequences. The level of fine indicated in California would only serve to increase blight. Are lenders currently paying the tax bill on vacant properties they own? Severe fines would motivate them to simply walk away if they were faced by punitive measures by government. It might also make them reluctant to participate in the Janesville market.
Rich,
Thank you for the comment. All I know is that sometimes out of the box thinking is required and we are looking at a potentially very serious situation in Janesville. I am not saying that we have to go a certain way, but we do need to look at what other communities are doing, and we should engage in a serious discussion of what can be done in Janesville about vacant housing.
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