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YouTubeSeems like there's a ton of boarded up houses and apartment buildings around town. Near my house, there's a corner of boarded up buildings that have been that way for as long as I can remember. Is it within the city's rights to declare ownership of these blighted and neglected properties?
Columbus Underground Messageboard » General Columbus Discussion
Eminent Domain Question
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greenhouse1014
Columbus
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Posted 2 years ago # -
gramarye
In Exile
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Yeah, the issue isn't whether the city can seize them. It can, and if they're really bad (with back taxes, etc.), it doesn't even need to pay for them (a la eminent domain), because it's just a flat-out forfeiture. The question is what to do with them after the seizure. Tenzo notes that the city would attempt to sell them, but ignores the issue of what happens if there are no buyers or bidders. If they city knew it might get stuck with it and didn't have a good plan for managing or disposing of the property in the event that no one else wanted it, the city might not pursue the forfeiture at all.
Posted 2 years ago # -
greenhouse1014
Columbus
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What about the idea of tearing the building down and creating pocket parks in the neighborhoods?
Posted 2 years ago # -
Matthew
Hilltop
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CDS sherman
East Franklinton
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my understanding is this, as long as a property is kept up to code and taxes paid it can sit indefinitely boarded up. there is no time line with the city of cols for boarded up property as long as its up to code. code meaning grass cut, all windows and door boarded, no roof leaks etc.
Posted 2 years ago # -
rory
NW Short North
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gramarye wrote >>
Yeah, the issue isn't whether the city can seize them. It can, and if they're really bad (with back taxes, etc.), it doesn't even need to pay for them (a la eminent domain), because it's just a flat-out forfeiture. The question is what to do with them after the seizure. Tenzo notes that the city would attempt to sell them, but ignores the issue of what happens if there are no buyers or bidders. If they city knew it might get stuck with it and didn't have a good plan for managing or disposing of the property in the event that no one else wanted it, the city might not pursue the forfeiture at all.The city has a plan,the Neighborhood Stabilization Program 2. It's going to rehab vacant or abandoned homes for affordable housing or demo and land bank the lots for future development.
And it's coming to a neighborhood near you soon.
Posted 2 years ago # -
thepiece
merion village
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Good question (and responses). I would add to that the process of eminent domain (and repossession from tax delinquency is a long process). Also, sometimes tracking down the owner of the property is very difficult (especially in foreclosure cases).
The robust one stop land bank is really the best approach to address the challenge.
I like the pocket park idea, although I have heard of challenges in assuring maintenance and upkeep for fragmented pocket parks. (especially if the public sector then becomes responsible for maintenance).
Flint and St. Louis have had programs where they offer to turn the vacant lot over to the nearby property owner, which is another approach. Although in St. Louis there were reports that this didn't work as well at first, because some of the new owners would quickly fall into tax delinquency because of the increase in property taxes.Posted 2 years ago # -
greenhouse1014
Columbus
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Is there any data available on what properties have already undergone Stabilization and what's been done with them? What is the schedule of neighborhoods experiencing this?
Posted 2 years ago # -
CDS sherman
East Franklinton
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rory wrote >>
gramarye wrote >>
Yeah, the issue isn't whether the city can seize them. It can, and if they're really bad (with back taxes, etc.), it doesn't even need to pay for them (a la eminent domain), because it's just a flat-out forfeiture. The question is what to do with them after the seizure. Tenzo notes that the city would attempt to sell them, but ignores the issue of what happens if there are no buyers or bidders. If they city knew it might get stuck with it and didn't have a good plan for managing or disposing of the property in the event that no one else wanted it, the city might not pursue the forfeiture at all.The city has a plan,the Neighborhood Stabilization Program 2. It's going to rehab vacant or abandoned homes for affordable housing or demo and land bank the lots for future development.
And it's coming to a neighborhood near you soon.i believe that acquisition is done through unpaid taxes, problematic code foreclosure and donation. they just cant take your property. the land bank owns tons of vacant lots and homes in franklinton. so far so good.
Posted 2 years ago # -
thepiece
merion village
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I'm not sure, if anyone can provide you that information, could you follow up on here. I would be interested in knowing that too.
I'm guessing you could contact the city directly (probably the planning department) to inquire about the stabilization grants from HUD and what happened with them (there are two rounds NSP 1 which was last year and NSP 2 which they just announced). Plans had to be submitted to HUD for NSP 1, so that plan should be around somewhere.
The early NSP funds were primarily focused in a few neighborhoods, this was covered in the Dispatch a while back, but I can't remember when.
In regards to properties in general (outside of the NSP program) that might be more difficult, the county and city may have some databases linked to their land bank programs. That would be a good place to start.Posted 2 years ago # -
rory
NW Short North
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I'm not sure what happened in the first round. I think some went to Franklinton. Where's Jim Sweeney? In the second round Campus Partners received 2.5 million for Weinland Park. I think some was to go to the King-Lincoln district this time. I don't think there is a schedule yet. There is a stipulation it has to all be spent in 3 years. The NSP2 application said that rehabs and new builds in Weinland Park were to be affordable housing for people at 120% of the average mean income. Hopefull they will all be home ownership opportunities. As I understand it there is another stipulation that any NSP2 funded rental property will take Section 8 vouchers.
Posted 2 years ago # -
CDS sherman
East Franklinton
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CDS sherman
East Franklinton
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