Vacant, abandoned, and deteriorated properties plague communities of all sizes across the United States. Whether spurred by natural disasters or industry loss, these properties create compound challenges for residents and local governments. When working toREAD MORE
Weakening the Power of Code Enforcement
In a recent article (click here), a local TV station in Cincinnati discusses a Councilmember’s new initiative to have unpaid code enforcement fines no longer be applied to the property’s taxes. While the Councilmember’s intentionsREAD MORE
Owner’s Names – To Disclose or Not? New Method……QR Codes
7.13.2021 A recent article in the Baltimore Sun/Washington Post article provides further insight into the new program For more information, please click here. 5.26.2021 Following up the below September 2020 report, the City of BaltimoreREAD MORE
Revitalization in Michigan – A Guide to Transforming Vacant, Abandoned, and Deteriorated Properties through Code Enforcement
Authored by Payton A. Heins, Associate Director of Michigan Initiatives and Matt Kreis, General Counsel, this new resource “breaks down nine leading code enforcement tools that help fight vacancy through traditional enforcement, proactive regulation, andREAD MORE
Massachusetts Attorney General’s Neighborhood Renewal Division
Attorney General Maura Healey recently announced the creation of the Neighborhood Renewal Division. This new division, has been created from the AG’s Abandoned Housing Initiative (AHI), a program created in 1995 to address abandoned properties.READ MORE
Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies HUD Regulations and Procedures Concerning Mortgages Near Foreclosure/End-stage Default
Rachel Bratt, a Senior Research Fellow at the Joint Center for Housing Studies and former visiting scholar at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, authored several Issue Briefs, offering insights about HUD’s regulations and proceduresREAD MORE
Fixing Up after Tearing Down: The Impact of Demolitions on Residential Investment
Daniel Kuhlmann, assistant professor of community and regional planning at Iowa State University recently authored a paper, suggesting that demolishing abandoned houses may lead nearby property owners to better maintain their homes. From the Abstract:READ MORE
New York State One-Year Foreclosure Moratorium Law Proposed
New York Assembly Bill 10553 proposes a ban on foreclosure actions for at least a year. New York foreclosure attorney Bruce J. Bergman presents several concerns from the perspective of mortgage servicers. Though he dismissesREAD MORE
NYS A.6976 and S.4190 Zombie Property Legislation
Update: 11/11/2020 This bill was signed into law by Governor Cuomo. For more information please click on following links Weiner, Brodsky, Kider: NY Requires Mortgage Servicer’s Information be Included in Certain Foreclosure-Related Documents Legislative Gazette:READ MORE
Innovative Partnerships – Richmond County GA Chronic Nuisance Enforcement Team
“All hands on deck” seems to be a productive strategy in addressing blight including utilizing non-traditional partnerships. We have previously reported on communities working with the National Guard . In a recent report, FOX 54READ MORE
Foreclosure Moratoriums and Unintended Consequences
Whether it’s an individual property owner, company, or bank, or municipality, the issue raised by WCJB is an absolute concern. Here we have a case of a conscientious homeowner, (who has other options including forREAD MORE
Oswego NY Anti-Blight Initiatives
A recent article by NNY360 (Watertown Daily Times) profiles two interesting initiatives to address blight in Oswego. The Nuisance Abatement Ordinance, while appearing to be in-line with other communities regulations, does include a proposal fromREAD MORE