The Citizen “PTC neighbors mow foreclosed lawns”
An article in The Citizen regarding vacant blight in Peachtree City mentions Safeguard Properties as an effective means of maintaining vacant properties.
PTC neighbors mow foreclosed lawns
Tue, 05/26/2009 – 5:33pm
By: John Munford
Peachtree City has not escaped the nationwide trend of home foreclosures.
While some of those homes are in the lower price range, some are in the very high price range too, as they are not confined to any area or neighborhood, said Senior Code Enforcement Officer Tami Babb.
Foreclosed homes have ranged from the $60,000 range to upwards of $600,000 or more, she said. One home in foreclosure was listed at $1.5 million in public newspaper notices, the main resource code enforcement uses to track foreclosures, Babb said.
“We’ve dealt with foreclosures before,” Babb said. “What’s different now is that it’s in every area.”
The foreclosed homes have not led to major issues so far, Babb said. But homes in foreclosure limbo, after they have been abandoned but before the banks resume ownership, have caused some trouble, she added.
To secure pool fences on abandoned properties, the city uses nylon straps to prevent trespassers from entering, Babb said. In some cases, neighbors are mowing the lawns of abandoned homes, Babb said.
One homeowner in particular who skipped town was particularly onerous and would have merited a citation with an appearance in city court had he remained here with the property unkempt, Babb said. But the owner moved out of state, so it may be impossible to hold him accountable, she added.
“Lots of people have left town and we can’t find them,” Babb said. “But they are still legally responsible.”
Once banks take possession of foreclosed homes, they generally do a good job of making sure the lawn is kept up and that the house doesn’t fall into disrepair, Babb said.
The city has not had to condemn any foreclosed homes due to structural defects or code violations, she added.
One private company, Safeguard, does a particularly good job of handling such issues including the regular lawn work and also fixing broken windows, Babb said.
Dealing with foreclosures is time-consuming, Babb said, adding that it has been made a bit easier since Fayette County deed records can be searched by computer to find the true owner of a given parcel.
Babb noted that the recently expired three-month moratorium on foreclosures was difficult because most of the city’s homes in the foreclosure process had already been abandoned … but the banks had been unable to take possession of them during that time.
The code enforcement department also has seen a drop in the number of calls from potential investors looking for a good deal on real estate, Babb added. Yet she remains optimistic that the future will improve.
“I really believe this is going to turn around,” Babb said.
Babb asks anyone with questions about particular homes to call code enforcement. Some neighbors are aware homes are in trouble before the notice is published in the newspaper, she added.
