A recent interview on the Talk Justice podcast titled “Lawyers Can Help Revitalize Neighborhoods” discusses the St Louis Neighborhood Advocacy Program and its successes in tackling the legal problems that create lingering neighborhood blight.
To listen to the episode or read the transcript, please click here
In late April, HB 1017 referred to as the Georgia Squatter Reform Act was signed by Governor Kemp.
Per the Bill’s sponsor, “the legislation would fix antiquated laws protecting squatters. Without the bill, it is difficult for homeowners to eject people who enter vacant properties, change the locks, and claim ownership or tenancy. He said the bill will make it quicker and easier for landlords and homeowners to wrest back control of their properties.”
To view media reports please click here
To view the bill text, please click here.
A recent release from Australia’s Dept. of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety, announces a new $5 million “Vacant Property Rental Incentive Scheme” designed to to convert vacant properties into long-term rental homes.
This new initiative follows the successful implementation of the Government’s “STRA Incentive Scheme”, which has already prompted 150 owners to take up the $10,000 incentive payments and switch their properties from short stay accommodation to the long-term rental market.
This new initiative, will offer payments to owners of up to 1,000 vacant properties who are willing to provide a minimum 12-month lease agreement to new long-term tenants. Payments will be made to the property owner once the dwelling has been leased and occupied.
To qualify for the $5,000 payment, the vacant property must meet a number of conditions, including that it:
- has been vacant for at least six months;
- is a single self-contained property with its own bathroom, kitchen and toilet (spare rooms or ancillary buildings, like granny flats, will not be eligible); and
- has not been used to receive a payment under the STRA Incentive Scheme.
To view the release, please click here.
For more details on the program, please click here.
With the passing of HB 2, Baltimore officials are hopeful they have another strong tool in their toolbox. As a community that has long struggled with vacancy and blight, I am hopeful too.
However, I would be remiss if I didn’t provide some words of caution.
A quote from a recent article states;
“Lawmakers say they don’t expect anyone will pay any increased tax, so instead, it will allow the city to take possession of more properties through the “in rem” foreclosure process, which allows the city to acquire properties where the value of the liens exceed the value of the property.”
Baltimore has been down this road before with their “Project 5000“. The results, per the Baltimore Sun “Under the plan, the city bought nearly 7,000 unoccupied properties — then got stuck with most of them, as officials struggled to find buyers.”
As the article continues, Baltimore has been challenged in effectively disposing of vacant properties they own. Is acquiring more en-masse through in-rem foreclosure the answer?
As we reported on over two years ago, there are other concerns as well.
They definitely are trying, everything from (ill-advised) QR codes to their promising “Clean Corps Initiative”. However, I’m not optimistic when it comes to the City acquiring the properties, unless there is an ever stronger push to ensure they are moved quickly to the right entities, for-profit or not-for-profit.
Perhaps the answer is re-examining the 2009 proposal for a “nonprofit, quasi governmental land bank that would oversee the acquisition and disposition of vacants”. This proposal was removed from consideration within weeks of Mayor Sheila Dixon’s resignation in January of 2010, following a gift card misuse scandal.