Under Mayor Fischer, ” …a third of former land bank houses sold since the 2010 fiscal year” are vacant. “Of the 316 properties the land bank has sold, code inspectors have deemed 92 to be vacant and in violation of the city’s property maintenance codes.”
“Some buyers have racked up thousands in property maintenance fines as they failed to pick up trash, cut the grass, and let their properties return to disrepair. Others appear to have never completed exterior renovations as required in the first place.”
“The Landbank Authority has the power to take back possession of a property if the initial terms aren’t met, but it’s never done it.” Source (WFPL – Jacob Ryan)
Giving property away for $1 and a commitment will not solve the vacant property problem. A more comprehensive approach is required addressing litter, reducing violence, engaging the idle, building community around local schools, creating reliable public transit, and attracting investment in property and businesses.
http://wfpl.org/kycir-good-neighbor-nearly-a-third-of-former-land-bank-houses-are-vacant/
