John Newby is the author of the “Building Main Street, Not Wall Street” column dedicated to helping communities combine synergies with local media companies allowing them to not just survive but to thrive. In aREAD MORE
“Zombie Debt” – Foreclosing on presumed “dead” Second Mortgages
A recent article discusses, “a wave of homeowners who say they were blindsided by the start of foreclosure actions on their homes over second loans that were taken out more than a decade ago”. TheREAD MORE
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution “Local governments outmatched by landlords of blighted apartment complexes”
In a thorough report, the The Atlanta Journal-Constitution focuses on the various challenges local governments face in dealing with negligent and often deep pocketed landlords. Included are concerns about lack of resources, lack of incentivesREAD MORE
Adjudicated Properties Attracting No Interest From Buyers
Your community may or may not have the same volume of these types of properties as New Orleans, but the following quote should apply across the board. “Foster said the city must come up withREAD MORE
Neighborhood Preservation Clinic – Law School can be a great resource if you have one!
The University of Memphis School of Law’s Neighborhood Preservation Clinic is filing 25 lawsuits on behalf of the Klondike-Smokey City Community Development Corporation. For more information on the Clinic please see below overview from theirREAD MORE
Challenge Averted in Kansas
SB510, introduced in February 2022 would “prohibit municipalities from imposing any fees or registration requirements on unoccupied residential or commercial property.” The legislation died in committee in May 2022. Please see below for a linkREAD MORE
Testing Public Nuisance Law
The Indiana Court of Appeals previously ruled that a law passed by the General Assembly prevented the city from using emergency calls as proof of a public nuisance. In order to use the calls asREAD MORE
“Zombie Foreclosures” & “Zombie Properties” Live on in Chicago
In July 2022, a local Chicago news station reported on “Zombie foreclosures stick former homeowners with major fines from city after bank doesn’t claim deed”. Now in a follow-up report in October 2022, examples ofREAD MORE
“The Benefit of Brownfields” – an in-depth analysis of $272mm in grant funding
New white paper by the Greater Ohio Policy Center examines over $270 million awarded through September 2022 allocated towards the clean up 115 sites and to support 74 assessments. “The anticipated end uses for theREAD MORE
Pressing the Pause Button on Fines for 311 Calls
Recent article from Baltimore discusses the status of Ordinance 22-0204 “which would fine property owners for extensive and repeated 311 service calls and or emergency calls.” For more information, please click on the following links;READ MORE
Reimagine Delinquent Property Tax Enforcement
In its newest publication, the Center for Community Progress “lays a general foundation for understanding the property tax system, but specifically focuses on ways to reform the delinquent property tax enforcement process for vacant properties—thoseREAD MORE
Tax Foreclosures, Tax Lien Sales, Homeowner’s Equity and Legislative Challenges
A recent article in Governing (originally in Stateline/Pew) discusses judicial and legislative efforts in several states to address cases of homeowners losing “not only their houses but also years of mortgage payments if they failREAD MORE