Oct 24, 2008 9:19 am US/Eastern
New Plan May Force Cleanups Of Foreclosed Homes
Owners of homes that are foreclosed, including banks, will have to keep properties clean under new plan
MIAMI (CBS4) ―
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A new plan may help keep foreclosed homes become eye sores.
CBS
The foreclosure crisis striking South Florida has shown no signs of
letting up. That means empty houses, condos, and businesses and their
aftermath are left to neighbors.
"As you can see, it grows over, it's disgusting," Gloria Lopez said. She was talking about the foreclosed home next door, and the sludge filled poll that is turning her block into a swamp.
Gloria says she's spent the last two years to keep the house locked up and the property maintained. But she hasn't seen much help from officials. "It seems like nothing gets resolved," Gloria said.
But, help may be on the way in the form of a new plan from the Miami Mayor's Mortgage Fraud Task Force. They are pushing county commissioners to pass a tough ordinance requiring the owners of foreclosed houses, condos, and businesses to keep them in good condition, even if the owner is a bank.
If the owner doesn't keep it clean, the county will send out workers to clean it up itself. The county will then put a lien on the property until that money is paid back.
"It'll be again, another tool in our toolbox to help solve this problem," Glenn Theobald, task force chairman, said.
Theobald said police officers and other county employees will actively seek out and report homes that don't meet the guidelines. But for residents like Gloria, they said seeing is believing.
"I don't have faith in the system because this has been like this for 2 years, almost three," Gloria said. "They'd have to show me in order for me to change my mind."
Miami-Dade County will hold a public hearing on this proposed ordinance on November 10, before voting on making the plan become law.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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