Safeguard Properties

Detroit Land Bank Authority Gets New Leader

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Land Bank Update
December 17, 2015

The Detroit Land Bank Authority Board has named Carrie Lewand-Monroe as executive director of the agency. A previous director of the Michigan Land Bank Fast Track Authority under Gov. Jennifer Granholm, Lewand-Monroe has been serving as acting executive director of the Detroit Land Bank Authority since Oct. 12 when she took over after the prior director, Kevin Simowski, was dismissed.

An attorney, Lewand-Monroe has also served as previously served as director of policy at Detroit Future City.

Lewand-Monroe joined the DLBA in February 2014 and has held the positions of senior adviser and deputy director for acquisitions and land reuse and as principal director of disposition. In those roles, she was responsible for the oversight of the city’s Hardest Hit Fund demolition program.

She also has overseen the DLBA side lot program, which has sold more than 2,700 side lots to Detroit residents. She also helped to create the buildingdetroit.org auction site, which has led to more than 500 homes being purchased across the city.

“Carrie Lewand-Monroe has shown exceptional leadership since being named acting director of the Detroit Land Bank,” said Detroit Land Bank Authority Board Chair Erica Ward Gerson. “Her stewardship of the Hardest Hit Fund demolition program has been exemplary. Carrie was part of the team that brought the DLBA this far, and will provide great leadership and stability for years to come.”

She takes over as the city’s demolition program has been struggling with rising costs and reports that major demolition companies received favored treatment in the awarding of demolition contracts.

Source: Detroit Free Press

Springfield Township, OH Approves Land Bank Resolution

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On June 18, Akron.com released an article titled Springfield officials creating land bank.

Springfield officials creating land bank

SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield Township Board of Trustees approved a resolution at its June 11 meeting to facilitate the effective reutilization of nonproductive land in the community by establishing a Springfield Township Land Bank.

According to Trustee Dean Young, the land bank will allow township officials to acquire ownership of vacant properties that are delinquent in property taxes and which previously had structures on them that were deemed unfit for human habitation by county officials. He added the properties would be those that failed to sell through the foreclosure process.

Young said the land bank would allow the township to take control of these properties without having to pay the delinquent taxes and would allow the township to sell them to residents or businesses for development, which would generate additional revenue for the township that would be used for further economic development.

He added the township would continue to work with the Summit County Land Bank in handling such properties. He explained the difference between the two processes is that in working with the county, the township does have to pay the delinquent property taxes to get control of the property, although the process is shorter.

Young said township officials would look at each property individually to determine which process — county or township — to use in attempting to return the land to productive use.

Please click here to view the article in its entirety.

About Safeguard 
Safeguard Properties is the mortgage field services industry leader, preserving vacant and foreclosed properties across the U.S., Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands and Guam. Founded in 1990 by Robert Klein and headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Safeguard provides the highest quality service to our clients by leveraging innovative technologies and proactively developing industry best practices and quality control procedures. Consistent with Safeguard’s values and mission, we are an active supporter of hundreds of charitable efforts across the country. Annually, Safeguard gives back to communities in partnership with our employees, vendors and clients. We also are dedicated to working with community leaders and officials to eliminate blight and stabilize neighborhoods. Safeguard is dedicated to preserving today and protecting tomorrow.  Website: www.safeguardproperties.com.

Land Bank Measure Moves Back to Kingston Common Council for Consideration

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On June 21, the Daily Freeman published an article discussing a Kingston, NY land bank creation proposal that was previously referred back to the Laws and Rules Committee for further consideration.

Land bank measure moves back to Kingston Common Council for consideration

KINGSTON >> A committee of the Common Council has once again moved a proposal forward for Kingston to create a land bank that would oversee the resale or repurpose of abandoned or tax-delinquent properties in the city.

The proposal had originally passed out of the Laws and Rules Committee last month, but when it came to the floor of the Common Council on June 2, aldermen referred it back to the committee for further consideration.

The committee on Tuesday met again with Brenna Robinson, director of the city’s Office of Community Development, to discuss the proposal. Following that discussion, a majority of the committee once again moved the proposal forward to be considered by the full Common Council.

Alderman Brad Will, D-Ward 3, voted against doing so.

“I see it as just another tool for you to use to address the problem properties in the city and see them used the way you’d like to see them used,” Robinson said of the land bank. “Mainly for increasing home ownership, but also for creating open spaces and recreational areas.”

Robinson has said the land bank would mainly be used to alleviate the burden the city has of carrying abandoned, dilapidated or condemned properties it had seized for non-payment of taxes. It would also provide an opportunity for the city to acquire properties approaching tax foreclosure or to create more green space, amongst other options, she has said previously.

“Mostly, I see the land bank addressing the real problem properties,” Robinson said Tuesday. She said it would be up to the city to determine which of its properties would be turned over to the land bank and which would continue to be marketed by a realtor. Once properties come to the land bank, though, the city has no further control over them, Robinson said.

Robinson added that the land bank would have the ability to invest money in the properties it takes to make them more attractive to potential buyers. She also said that while some aldermen were concerned about the city losing revenue from sales of these properties, the land bank would have the ability to make them more developable and valuable. The increased value and investment creates more taxable property, which in turn increases tax revenues for the city, Robinson said.

In response to other concerns aldermen raised, Robinson said the land bank would be responsible for any loans it takes out and that it would be very conservative in doing so. She also said that while the council would have no say over land bank properties, it would be the entity that appoints the five voting directors of the land bank and the residents and business-owners who form the advisory group.

Will said he felt there were a lot of people involved in the land bank between the board of directors and advisory group. He said he felt that was a big “extra layer” of bureaucracy. Will also said the city does not have a large inventory of property it owns and the land bank could be redundant.

The council needs to think hard about whether the land bank makes sense for Kingston, Will said.

Minority Leader Deborah Brown, R-Ward 9, said the land bank could help people own homes, rather than just renting. She said when people own homes they tend to take more pride in their neighborhoods and take better care of their property.

“That, to me, is the crux to a lot of this,” Brown said.

Please click here to view the article online.

About Safeguard 
Safeguard Properties is the mortgage field services industry leader, preserving vacant and foreclosed properties across the U.S., Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands and Guam. Founded in 1990 by Robert Klein and headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Safeguard provides the highest quality service to our clients by leveraging innovative technologies and proactively developing industry best practices and quality control procedures. Consistent with Safeguard’s values and mission, we are an active supporter of hundreds of charitable efforts across the country. Annually, Safeguard gives back to communities in partnership with our employees, vendors and clients. We also are dedicated to working with community leaders and officials to eliminate blight and stabilize neighborhoods. Safeguard is dedicated to preserving today and protecting tomorrow.  Website: www.safeguardproperties.com.

Lackawanna County Commissioners Introduce Land Bank Ordinance

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On June 4, thetimes-tribune.com (Scranton) published an article discussing the first reading of an ordinance by Lackawanna County, PA commissioners that would create a land bank.

Lackawanna County commissioners introduce land bank ordinance

Lackawanna County commissioners proposed Wednesday a new public authority designed to fight blight and encourage economic development.

Commissioners held the first reading of an ordinance to create a land bank, an entity state lawmakers in 2012 approved to cut through bureaucracy associated with acquiring and developing abandoned and tax-delinquent properties.

Land banks can hold and manage land, eliminate tax liens, develop, rehabilitate or demolish lots, and sell, transfer, lease or mortgage properties. Around the country, some land banks are massive operations controlling numerous properties, while others target a few properties per year for development.

“I think this will be a great tool to put our properties back on the tax rolls,” Commissioner Pat O’Malley said.

Lackawanna County’s Tax Claim Bureau has more than 400 properties on its repository list, with approximately 200 additional Scranton parcels scheduled to join them soon, said department Director Ron Koldjeski.

He saw significant potential for a land bank to make a difference quickly by delivering clean titles, splitting up and selling afforable vacant lots to neighbors and adjusting property lines of tiny, useless parcels located next to one another to create new pieces of land that can be developed.

Economic Development Director George Kelly envisioned a land bank eventually helping the gamut — from large-scale development at vacant commercial sites to the Hill Neighborhood Association’s proposal to turn several lots into pocket parks, playgrounds, community gardens or off-street parking.

County and city officials have long been talking about creating a land bank, and much more work is required to get it off the ground.

All taxing entities need to sign off on agreements providing guidelines for how the land bank would operate in each of Lackawanna County’s 40 municipalities.

“Really, for this to work, we need the cooperation of everybody,” Commissioner Jim Wansacz said.

Scranton Mayor Bill Courtright said he supports creating a land bank because it has the potential to make a difference in the city.

The ordinance calls for a seven-member board including a county commissioner or designee, the director of the county planning and economic development office and five other at-large members to be appointed initially by commissioners. After the first staggered terms expire, members would be appointed for five-year terms.

Since Scranton is the county seat with the most prospective properties to be involved, Scranton Councilman Bill Gaughan said he wants Scranton to have dedicated representation on the board.

Carbondale Mayor Justin Taylor said he hopes the board of directors will be “a geographically accurate reflection of all parts of the county.”

While land banks are designed to be financially self-sufficient, startup money will be needed.

A broad coalition, including the county and its municipalities, could make a strong case for gaming grant money to get the initiative started, Mr. Kelly suggested.

Commissioners planned to have a second reading of the land bank ordinance at their next meeting in two weeks, and can then vote on it.

Please click here to view the article online.

About Safeguard 
Safeguard Properties is the mortgage field services industry leader, preserving vacant and foreclosed properties across the U.S., Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands and Guam. Founded in 1990 by Robert Klein and headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Safeguard provides the highest quality service to our clients by leveraging innovative technologies and proactively developing industry best practices and quality control procedures. Consistent with Safeguard’s values and mission, we are an active supporter of hundreds of charitable efforts across the country. Annually, Safeguard gives back to communities in partnership with our employees, vendors and clients. We also are dedicated to working with community leaders and officials to eliminate blight and stabilize neighborhoods. Safeguard is dedicated to preserving today and protecting tomorrow.  Website: www.safeguardproperties.com.

Jacksonville City Council Considers Land Bank to Redevelop Thousands of Idle Properties

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On May 2, The Florida Times-Union released an article titled Land bank being eyed to move derelict Jacksonville properties to new uses.

Land bank being eyed to move derelict Jacksonville properties to new uses

A Jacksonville City Council member looking for ways to salvage thousands of idle properties wants the city to create a land bank that could assemble blocks of property for redevelopment.

“We need some kind of a clearinghouse, which is what a land bank allows you to do,” said Councilman Bill Gulliford, who met recently with city development and regulatory officials about how to get started.

The answer apparently isn’t quick or simple.

“It sounds like they have a lot of steps ahead of them,” said Christina Parrish, executive director of Springfield Preservation and Revitalization, who said a land bank could be important to places like her historic neighborhood just north of downtown.

Some century-old houses have been restored carefully there and the housing market has improved, but other houses sit decaying and have been effectively abandoned by owners who are unaccounted for.

“They sort of disappear and they’re hard to find,” said Parrish, an attorney involved in real estate investing.

She said some properties were bought through tax sales by people who later discovered the buildings need repairs, then simply walked away and left the property neglected.

For city governments, though, land banks aren’t an easy answer or cure-all. Many abandoned properties have liens for unpaid code violation fines the city could foreclose on, but taking ownership of those would add to the city’s liabilities.

Gulliford said he’s interested in launching the land bank with private funding that could operate with only limited city involvement and make decisions independent of the city. He said he’ll be reaching out to a possible funder, but has no one signed up now.

Whether anything will come from this effort isn’t clear. No legislation has been proposed, and Gulliford, whose district covers the Beaches and part of the Southside, hasn’t spelled out how the organization would be structured.

Gulliford tried last year to spark an effort between nonprofits and a national group, Hope Now, to get big bunches of foreclosed buildings lined up for redevelopment. That effort hasn’t produced clear results, he said, but a need to put properties to new uses is still there.

The land bank effort is drawing on experience of Downtown Investment Authority CEO Aundra Wallace, who used to run a land bank in Detroit and outlined lessons from that on funding sources, amassing property and choosing areas that should be improved and others that should be razed. Gulliford arranged for Wallace to brief him and other city officials last month, however Wallace is not expected to be involved in operating any local land bank.

Gulliford said neighborhood-level research that the Jessie Ball duPont Fund has commissioned on real estate conditions will be important in deciding where to focus Jacksonville’s efforts.

The research, known as a market value analysis, is designed to combine large amounts of data into a consistent, overall measure of neighborhood strengths and weaknesses in very different parts of town.

The analysis is scheduled to be released publicly around October, but pieces could be previewed to business leaders this summer, said Mary Kress Littlepage, a fund spokeswoman.

Please click here to view the article online.

About Safeguard 
Safeguard Properties is the mortgage field services industry leader, preserving vacant and foreclosed properties across the U.S., Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands and Guam. Founded in 1990 by Robert Klein and headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Safeguard provides the highest quality service to our clients by leveraging innovative technologies and proactively developing industry best practices and quality control procedures. Consistent with Safeguard’s values and mission, we are an active supporter of hundreds of charitable efforts across the country. Annually, Safeguard gives back to communities in partnership with our employees, vendors and clients. We also are dedicated to working with community leaders and officials to eliminate blight and stabilize neighborhoods. Safeguard is dedicated to preserving today and protecting tomorrow.  Website: www.safeguardproperties.com.

Community Initiatives Education Outreach Extends Nationwide

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During the first quarter of 2015, the Safeguard Properties Community Initiatives Department travelled across the country to meet with municipal leaders and deliver educational messages regarding the servicing industry’s best practices in preserving vacant properties.

Safeguard’s Community Initiatives Outreach: First Quarter, 2015

The first quarter of 2015 provided continued opportunities for Safeguard’s community initiatives department to deliver outreach and education to municipal leaders across the country. These opportunities generally stemmed from community representatives telling other cities of their success in receiving assistance and solutions from Safeguard to address vacant and abandoned properties.

The community initiatives department focuses on two fundamental areas. The first is an overview of the servicing industry’s best practices in preserving vacant properties. And the second is detailed information and a demo of Compliance Connections®, an innovative technology solution that connects relevant parties to preserve the value of communities and real estate portfolios.

Safeguard’s Director of Community Initiatives Michael Halpern states, “Municipal staff members on all levels often lack the necessary perspective. It is our objective to keep properties off the radar of code enforcement by following the required industry property preservation guidelines. Therefore, they may not be aware of all the efforts and expenditures of the industry. When issues arise at a particular property, they typically view these properties as the rule, opposed to the exception. We try to share the message of common goals and partnerships throughout communities”.

Creating channels of open communication continues to be the biggest challenge for code officers, yet it is attainable. By becoming familiar with banking and servicing procedures, local code enforcement and building officials have been able to identify and communicate directly with the proper loan servicer. This eases the frustration of not receiving a response to their warnings and violation notices that may have been unintentionally sent to the wrong parties.

Compliance Connections is offered at no cost to communities across the country. This system removes the burden of research from code officers and creates transparency by utilizing public, private and proprietary databases. This solution identifies the responsible party, facilitates direct communication, and expedites compliance with local code.

“We hear time and time again about the positive change in local perception regarding the servicing industry, as well as the cost savings to the industry and the city. It is a win-win for all,” says Safeguard’s Community Relations Liaison Heather Lazar, who believes Compliance Connections is the solution to connect the necessary parties working to preserve communities nationwide.

Safeguard’s community initiatives department would like to extend its appreciation to the following organizations for allowing it to participate in various ways to share the industry’s message during the first quarter of 2015:

Non-profit organizations play a critical role in our outreach.  The department continues to work with state and national groups that can also benefit from resources that create win-win opportunities for local communities and the industry.

After  the recent National Community Reinvestment Coalition annual conference (Washington, DC), and the Housing and Community Development Network of New Jersey workshop (Trenton NJ), the department will soon be attending  conferences and events hosted  by:

 For additional information regarding the department and its activities, please contact community.initiatives@s.safeguardproperties.com.

Pittsburg, KS Taking Initial Step in Land Bank Creation

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On April 27, The Joplin Globe published an article titled Discussion for Pittsburg land bank to begin.

Discussion for Pittsburg land bank to begin

PITTSBURG, Kan. — The city of Pittsburg will take the first step this afternoon in what could become a way to fight blight and abandonment in neighborhoods, city leaders say.

Called a land bank, the tool was born in recent decades in metro cities such as St. Louis and Atlanta as a way to find a new use for vacant, abandoned and problem properties in the quest toward community development, according to Becky Gray, director of Housing and Community Development.

“We see several instances each year of lots that builders or developers don’t want to buy because the cost of demolition and prepping them again for new construction is too high, or the cost of renovations is too high to make it worth their time, and so those properties sit there longer, dilapidate further and help no one,” Gray said.

In many instances, she said, such a property is owned by an absentee owner who might have inherited a home when a long-distance relative died, and the property falls into disrepair, taxes aren’t paid or the home goes into foreclosure.

“We want to get them under local control, clean them up, and make them attractive to builders and developers,” Gray said.

Frank Alexander, a law professor who founded the Center for Community Progress and wrote a 2005 text on land banks, “Land Bank Authorities: A Guide for the Creation and Operation of Local Land Banks,” said in it that such properties “diminish the sense of community among neighbors, erase the value of lifelong investment in a home, and make it nearly impossible for cities and towns to attract and keep the creative, innovative, entrepreneurial citizens who will build the next economy.”

They also are targets for arson and crime, Alexander noted.

City Manager Daron Hall said a land bank is worth considering, because in addition to creating housing opportunities, it also gets properties back on the tax rolls.

Gray said a land bank was one of the recommendations that came out of the city’s housing study completed late in 2014.

“It gives us a tool to really plan strategically with a long-term vision of what the city can look like, to provide parcels for green space, designate them for a specific use, assemble them so tiny little lots that won’t hold houses desirable these days can be sold,” she said.

The Pittsburg City Commission’s study session is slated for 5:15 p.m. at the Beard-Shanks Law Enforcement Center before the 5:30 p.m. regular meeting.

The commission would need to approve an ordinance to create a land bank, and appoint a board of trustees to govern it, according to Hall. The board would establish priorities for which properties would be acquired, and a process and timeline for doing so.

“We really think this will make great strides toward neighborhood revitalization,” Gray said.

Please click here to view the article online.

About Safeguard 
Safeguard Properties is the mortgage field services industry leader, preserving vacant and foreclosed properties across the U.S., Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands and Guam. Founded in 1990 by Robert Klein and headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Safeguard provides the highest quality service to our clients by leveraging innovative technologies and proactively developing industry best practices and quality control procedures. Consistent with Safeguard’s values and mission, we are an active supporter of hundreds of charitable efforts across the country. Annually, Safeguard gives back to communities in partnership with our employees, vendors and clients. We also are dedicated to working with community leaders and officials to eliminate blight and stabilize neighborhoods. Safeguard is dedicated to preserving today and protecting tomorrow.  Website: www.safeguardproperties.com.

Penn-Trafford School Board Supports County Land Bank

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On April 15, triblive.com released an article discussing the unanimous vote of the Penn-Trafford, PA School Board approving an intergovernmental-cooperation agreement with the Westmoreland County Land Bank.

Penn-Trafford School Board supports county land bank
 
The Penn-Trafford School Board is pledging its support for the Westmoreland County Land Bank.

As Trafford council prepares to consider joining the land bank, the school board voted unanimously Monday night to approve an intergovernmental-cooperation agreement with the county organization. Trafford officials have called a special meeting for 6:30 p.m. today, Thursday, to discuss the land-bank opportunity.

Participation in a land bank could help communities put blighted buildings “back into productive use,” said school board member Dallas Leonard, who works as community-development director for Penn Township.

“I think this is a very, very good thing for us as a school board to cooperate (with),” he said.

The land bank began last year with $100,000 in funding from the county’s redevelopment authority and 10 municipalities as another way to coordinate efforts to reuse or demolish vacant buildings.

Please click here to view the article online.

About Safeguard 
Safeguard Properties is the mortgage field services industry leader, preserving vacant and foreclosed properties across the U.S., Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands and Guam. Founded in 1990 by Robert Klein and headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Safeguard provides the highest quality service to our clients by leveraging innovative technologies and proactively developing industry best practices and quality control procedures. Consistent with Safeguard’s values and mission, we are an active supporter of hundreds of charitable efforts across the country. Annually, Safeguard gives back to communities in partnership with our employees, vendors and clients. We also are dedicated to working with community leaders and officials to eliminate blight and stabilize neighborhoods. Safeguard is dedicated to preserving today and protecting tomorrow.  Website: www.safeguardproperties.com.

Land Bank Proposal Presented to Norristown, PA Council

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On April 29, The Times Herald (Norristown) published an article titled Norristown council reviews ‘land bank’ proposal to combat blight.

Norristown council reviews ‘land bank’ proposal to combat blight

NORRISTOWN >> A land bank proposal for Norristown was presented to Norristown council Wednesday by a consultant for the Housing Alliance of Pennsylvania (HAP).

A land bank is a government organization committed to returning vacant, abandoned, tax-delinquent and foreclosed properties to productive use by acquiring them and renovating them for reuse.

Attorney Winifred Branton, the principal of Branton Strategies in Philadelphia and a consultant for the HAP, explained the land bank concepts to council members at a special workshop meeting.

“There are 300,000 blighted properties in Pennsylvania. A land bank is another tool to bringing properties back to useful life,” Branton said. “A three-pronged strategy with code enforcement to promote blight remediation, a modern land recycling system and a reinvestment plan.”

 Jayne Musonye, the Norristown director of planning, said that a first round of 50 blighted properties in the municipality had been brought back up to code.

“We had a second round of 49 properties identified but it did not work as well the second time,” Muonye said. “The current number of blighted properties is fluid because some properties were taken off the list and others were added to the list.”

Under the commonwealth’s 2012 land bank legislation, any Pennsylvania county or municipality with more than 10,000 residents can start a land bank. A board of directors organizing a land bank must meet in public to make decisions and follow the state Sunshine Law regulations. A land bank can redevelop vacant, blighted and/or tax delinquent properties by acquiring them through a variety of methods. Property acquisitions by foreclosure, donation from municipalities or tax claim bureaus, purchase, donation, gift or transfer are allowed, but a taking by eminent domain is expressly prohibited.

A land bank can improve a property by new construction, redevelopment, demolition or renovation work. To finance the operations of a land bank, the board can issue tax-exempt revenue bonds or use (real estate) tax recapture agreements with school districts, or local towns, to receive up to half of the real estate property tax revenue for up to five years.

”What makes a property blighted?” Council President Linda Christian asked. “There are occupied homes that look blighted.”

Branton said that the law allows a “blighted” designation for just one of 11 criteria, but in reality more than one condition needs to be present to allow a foreclosure on the property.

“There are a number of counties in New York state that have land banks. In Philadelphia, cleaning and greening vacant lots increased the adjacent property values by 30 percent,” she said. “The land bank law gives flexibility in how they are set up. You have to give options for local governments.”

She said that financing was a major hurdle.

“You are allowed to take grants and loans. The five-year, 50 percent recapture rule allows a land bank to recapture up to 50 percent of the real estate taxes in the five years after a property is sold,” Branton said. “Land banks are able to clear title to a property through expedited quiet title action.

“A land bank can ‘trump’ another bid at a foreclosure sale with a prior notice to the parties to a sale.”

She emphasized that the sale process needs to be public to help move a property back into productive use.

Councilman Gary Simpson asked how the Marcellus Shale fees are distributed in the towns where the drilling activities are located.

“If we are not dealing with local governments but with a consortium. How does a CDC (Community Development Corp.) come into play?” Simpson asked.

Branton said that tax sales offer a productive place for a land bank to purchase blighted properties at reduced prices.

“A judicial tax sale is where the real bargains are. This is where properties are sold that are free and clear of the delinquent taxes,” she said. “In Reading, the median winning bid ranged from about $1,000 to nearly $5,000.”

HAP officials recommend making a strategic plan for a land bank proposal, she said.

In 2014, the Norristown tax sales prices were 30 percent of the assessed value of the properties sold because there was more competition to purchase the properties, Branton said.

Please click here to view the article online.

About Safeguard 
Safeguard Properties is the mortgage field services industry leader, preserving vacant and foreclosed properties across the U.S., Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands and Guam. Founded in 1990 by Robert Klein and headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Safeguard provides the highest quality service to our clients by leveraging innovative technologies and proactively developing industry best practices and quality control procedures. Consistent with Safeguard’s values and mission, we are an active supporter of hundreds of charitable efforts across the country. Annually, Safeguard gives back to communities in partnership with our employees, vendors and clients. We also are dedicated to working with community leaders and officials to eliminate blight and stabilize neighborhoods. Safeguard is dedicated to preserving today and protecting tomorrow.  Website: www.safeguardproperties.com.

Evansville, IN Proposes Land Bank to Fight Blight and Fix System

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On March 30, Tristatehomepage.com released an article titled City’s “Blight Idea” Targets Abandoned Homes Through Land Bank.

City’s “Blight Idea” Targets Abandoned Homes Through Land Bank

The homes are blighted and the system is broken but Evansville’s Department of Metropolitan Development has a plan it believes targets both, city officials said. The city is mulling the idea of bringing a land bank to the city in hopes of eliminating blighted and abandoned homes.

The landbank is a long-term blight elimination plan, said Kelley Coures, the executive director of the Department of Metropolitan Development. To start, the plan calls for the demolitiion of vacant, blighted and decript properties that went un-sold at the county’s tax sale, Coures said. The plan would require major changes to the city’s non-profit Brownfields Corporation who would sell the properties to developers once they have been cleaned up.

The plan would require a significant public investment at first but Coures argues the costs would be off-set by few police and fire runs to blighted properties. There would be a reduction in expenses from code enforcement efforts on chronically blighted homes, Coures said.

“These vacant and abandoned dwellings are havens for meth makers,  and vandals. It’s stressful on our neighborhoods,” Coures said. “Anytime you have stress on neighborhoods and stress on people who live in neighborhoods, I think that’s an issue.”

Coures said the first homes to be targeted by this plan include those he considers “low-hanging fruit.” Simply plut, Coures said, those homes are the worst of the worst. The program would begin with the demolition of 400-500 homes at an estimated $500 per home. That cost is to cover the legal and administration fees in order to do clerical things like transfer the deed. Coures believes in the landbank idea because he believes it has transformed neighborhoods on the city’s south side.

“This is what we did at Haynie’s Corner, Goosetown and Blackford’s Grove,” Coures said. “We effectively landbanked our way out of blight in those neighborhoods surrounding Haynie’s Corner. What we’ve seen is when we have enough available land, developers will come. Tear it down and they will come.”

The program needs to be fully funded in order to work properly, Coures said. Once fully implemented, the impact could affect neighborhoods and the county alike.

“The value of surrounding homes will go up which means the county will collect property taxes from those properties,” Coures said. “What’s the cost of a mother not being able to allow her children to play outside because of the house next door that someone could be in? What’s the cost of a senior citizen afraid to go to sleep at night in fear of the abandoned house next door is going to catch on fire? What’s the real cost? What’s the human cost? I think that’s difficult to measure.”

Using left over grant money, Coures is bringing in a consultant to discuss this proposal and how it has worked in other cities across the country. The meeting begins at 6:30pm Monday at the Browning Room in Central Library.

Please click here to view the article online.

About Safeguard 
Safeguard Properties is the mortgage field services industry leader, preserving vacant and foreclosed properties across the U.S., Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands and Guam. Founded in 1990 by Robert Klein and headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Safeguard provides the highest quality service to our clients by leveraging innovative technologies and proactively developing industry best practices and quality control procedures. Consistent with Safeguard’s values and mission, we are an active supporter of hundreds of charitable efforts across the country. Annually, Safeguard gives back to communities in partnership with our employees, vendors and clients. We also are dedicated to working with community leaders and officials to eliminate blight and stabilize neighborhoods. Safeguard is dedicated to preserving today and protecting tomorrow.  Website: www.safeguardproperties.com.