In a recent Op-Ed in the Baltimore Sun, Peter Duvall, community revitalization coordinator for Strong City Baltimore discussed new legislation being proposed by Councilman Kris Burnett. This legislation would “target the hard-to-track owners of vacantREAD MORE
New York Legislation Update
New York Legislative Update In August, we reported on S5079A Zombie Property Remediation Act of 2019, while it awaits the Governor’s signature (or veto) a recent editorial in the Daily Gazette suggests that the “GovernorREAD MORE
Legal Challenge to Omaha Ordinance
The Metropolitan Omaha Property Owners Association sued the city, the Mayor and several other city officials, calling the Vacant and Abandoned Property Ordinance “unconstitutional.” The claim “centers around a 2015 consent decree that was partREAD MORE
Interesting Headline – “Mayor calls upkeep of vacant homes waste of taxpayer money”
On August 19th, the Corpus Christi Caller Times ran a report titled “Mayor calls upkeep of vacant homes waste of taxpayer money”. It appears that he spoke out of a valid frustration of having toREAD MORE
New Jersey “Foreclosure Database” & “Land Bank Law”
Foreclosure Database Following a conditional veto, on June 24th, Governor Phil Murphy signed A5000 into law. A5000 orders the Department of Community Affairs to create a statewide database of all homes under foreclosure as aREAD MORE
Permit Denial Ordinance
A recent article in the Morning Call, discusses a new anti-blight ordinance passed in June 2019. Alicia Miller Karner, city director of community and economic development said “the city will be modifying its permit applications,READ MORE
Kansas City, Mo Abandoned to Vibrant Project
The Abandoned to Vacant (A2V) project, a collaboration between Kansas City, MO and the University of Missouri-Kansas City, uses open data to map abandoned houses and give potential buyers a sense of the surrounding neighborhood.READ MORE
New York State Senate: Investigative Report on Code Enforcement in New York State
On August 6th, the New York State Senate Committee on Investigations & Government Operations issued a report titled, Investigative Report on Code Enforcement in New York State. Per the press release from Senator James Skoufis, ChairREAD MORE
Journal of Behavioral Medicine “Urban building demolitions, firearm violence and drug crime”
In February, we reported on a LSU Department of Sociology study showing a statistical connection between homicide, blighted buildings and convenience stores in Baton Rouge, LA. In a recent article, Newsweek discusses a study inREAD MORE
Missouri Senate Bill 203 Nuisance Actions in Certain Cities and Counties
Missouri Senate Bill 203 was signed on July 9th by Missouri Governor Michael Parson. In a news release from Thompson Coburn LLP the various benefits of this new legislation is discussed. Senate Bill 203 makes significant changesREAD MORE
City of Bedford OH Ceases Enforcement of Nuisance Ordinance
In February we reported on the various challenges to nuisance property legislation across the country. In a recent development, the city of Bedford, OH agreed to stop enforcing their nuisance ordinance as a result ofREAD MORE
National Guard “Clean and Seal” Program
The National Guard has an innovative program call “Clean and Seal” providing temporary relief for communities struggling with abandoned properties. The guardsmen donate their time, effort, and tools through the Nation Guard’s Counterdrug Joint Task Force.READ MORE