On December 18th issued the following press release regarding his signing of the “Zombie Property Remediation Act of 2019” To view the final language, please click here. To view local reporting, please click here. NewREAD MORE
NJ S1155 VPRO Legislation Progresses
Following a March 4, 2019 referral to the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee, S1155 was reported from the Committee and given a 2nd Reading. To view the current text of the proposed bill, please clickREAD MORE
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) Proposes a “Tenant Protection Bureau”
Several of the 2020 Presidential hopefuls have revealed their housing plans, mostly focused on affordable housing. Recently Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) released an updated proposal which advocates for the creation of a “Tenant Protection Bureau”,READ MORE
Pennsylvania Restore PA Initiative Update
As previously reported, Pennsylvania Governor Wolf has taken an aggressive approach to the fight against blight. Additional information is now available on the Governor’s website. For an overview of the Combatting Blight component, please clickREAD MORE
MA H 177 An Act relative to neighborhood stabilization and economic development
Massachusetts H 177 (and accompanying bill S 1627) originally introduced in January had hearings in October. The bill “would form a commission to study strategies for improving the quality of housing stock in weak markets,READ MORE
Ohio Land Bank Lawsuit….Sorry, but your math is wrong
Along with vacant property registration ordinances, Land Banks are one of the more widely used tools in the fight against blight. Now, class action lawsuit have been filed by former Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann,READ MORE
Universities of Boston and Stanford Paper: “How Do Foreclosures Exacerbate Housing Downturns?”
As discussed in a recent article from MarketWatch, “A new working paper authored by researchers at Boston University and Stanford University investigates the ways in which foreclosures exacerbate a housing bust and reduce prices for non-distressed homes.READ MORE
Legal Challenge to Omaha Ordinance
The Metropolitan Omaha Property Owners Association sued the city, the Mayor and several other city officials, calling the Vacant and Abandoned Property Ordinance “unconstitutional.” The claim “centers around a 2015 consent decree that was partREAD MORE
New Jersey “Foreclosure Database” & “Land Bank Law”
Foreclosure Database Following a conditional veto, on June 24th, Governor Phil Murphy signed A5000 into law. A5000 orders the Department of Community Affairs to create a statewide database of all homes under foreclosure as aREAD MORE
Missouri Senate Bill 203 Nuisance Actions in Certain Cities and Counties
Missouri Senate Bill 203 was signed on July 9th by Missouri Governor Michael Parson. In a news release from Thompson Coburn LLP the various benefits of this new legislation is discussed. Senate Bill 203 makes significant changesREAD MORE
H.R.2390 – Clean Up Our Neighborhoods Act of 2019
Following is the Press Release from Congressman Tim Ryan discussing the introduction (on 4/29/19) of H.R.2390 – “Clean Up Our Neighborhoods Act of 2019” To view a related media article from WFMJ, please click here. CongressmanREAD MORE
Murphy shoots down foreclosure online database measure
A recent article from NJBiz discusses a conditional veto from Gov. Phil Murphy on legislation that would have required the Department of Community Affairs to create an online database and interactive map of residential propertiesREAD MORE