As a follow up to my March Blog posting where I discussed the continuing issue of wasted time, money and effort in identifying owners or mortgage servicers of vacant and abandoned properties please see thisREAD MORE
City of Mobile to use Plexiglass to fight blight
As the loudest and strongest advocate for “clearboarding” my late father-in-law Robert Klein would be proud of Mobile’s approach to addressing blight. Replacing plywood boards with plexiglass/polycarbonate is a simple but powerful solution. See forREAD MORE
Engaging a New Generation and Creating a New Tool in the Blight Fight
A local community in Pennsylvania has tapped in to a great resource, local students from Harrisburg Area Community College and Blue Mountain High School. The initiative to help the borough of Mahanoy City determine exactlyREAD MORE
Kansas City MO “Codes Advocate”
A recent article in discusses the hiring of a “codes advocate” to be the go-between between the code department and residents in Kansas City, MO. The article has an intriguing quote, “The idea is itREAD MORE
Code Enforcement Liens: Carrot or Stick? Or both?
So I came across an interesting article, the headline, and in fact the article itself, was very matter of fact. The headline read “Code violators owe Estero more than $2M in fines. The Village CouncilREAD MORE
Pennsylvania Restore PA Initiative
In a recent article from WJAC, discussing the Governor’s new initiative, DCED Deputy Secretary of Community Affairs Rick Vilello has a very profound quote. “Vilello says blight often begins with small blemishes. First it startsREAD MORE
Doing the right thing…
I have been blessed many times in my life, and in many different aspects. One area I do not take for granted was the opportunity to witness first-hand how my late father-in-law, an Ernst &READ MORE
Bloomberg “The U.S. Mortgage Market Needs Better Plumbing”
“Zombie Foreclosures” a thing of the past? Not if you read this article! Great recommendations, especially geared towards avoiding foreclosure but as it pertains to blight, recommending transferring a property “as-is” is scary. Vacant propertyREAD MORE
When “Three to Six Months” turns to “Next Day”!
“Summerville town officials say they have been aware of the home and are monitoring it. Town code enforcement staff still need to determine what bank owns the foreclosed home. Town spokesperson Mary Edwards said staff will not know whoREAD MORE
Waterford MI Neighborhood Preservation Corps
What a great way to mobilize the community! Click here for an article from the Oakland Press promoting the initiative. The best part is the clear webpage created by the Township outlining the program includingREAD MORE
Challenges to Nuisance Property Legislation
Update January 11, 2023 A recent article by the Urban Institute examines “Crime-Free Housing Ordinances”, the various legal challenges, the consequences and the overall effectiveness of these programs. To view the article, please click onREAD MORE
Private Cause of Action in Blight Cases
Zanesville OH ended up scrapping the section authorizing “private cause of action section intended to grant private citizens the ability to declare their neighbors nuisances in addition to law enforcement.” “Had the committee chosen toREAD MORE