Foreclosures have become a concern for everyone

By Clay Milan, Director Office of Code Enforcement - HOLLYWOOD – Dear residents:
    There is little doubt about the negative impact of the housing foreclosure crisis locally. In Hollywood, over 400 foreclosures have been sold at public auction this year. Lenders currently own about 700 properties with approximately 1,300 more properties in foreclosure or pre-foreclosure.
   Foreclosures have become a concern for everyone including homeowners who live nearby. When a home is in foreclosure, the lack of routine maintenance can lead to deterioration and a blighting influence on the surrounding neighborhood.  
   Prior to this nationwide crisis, foreclosure transfers typically took 30-60 days.  Now, foreclosure transfers take between four and six months, and properties can be vacant for a prolonged period of time. Problem conditions such as peeling paint, deteriorated roofing and dilapidated fences often continue to exist for several months.
   In anticipation of this situation, the City of Hollywood implemented the Vacant and Abandoned Building Monitoring Program to follow foreclosed properties from the time they are sold at a foreclosure auction at the Broward County Courthouse to the time they are purchased by a new owner.By monitoring these properties from the beginning of the process, the City is better able to encourage maintenance and keep neighborhood residents informed.  
   Conditions commonly observed at foreclosed properties include unkempt grounds and surroundings.  Short-term solutions include taking inventory and monitoring the properties and engaging a contractor to mow grass, trim hedges, remove garbage and junk, and sanitize and secure unguarded swimming pools.  Posting a code violation on the property initiates the due process phase which requires the property owner be notified and given a reasonable amount of time to correct the problem.  Sometimes, determining who actually owns or controls a property in foreclosure or pre-foreclosure can be problematic.  Regardless, after the compliance deadline passes, the city’s contractor can work to improve conditions.  Costs of this abatement, plus an administrative fee, can be imposed as a lien on the property. Those with a property in foreclosure should communicate with their neighborhood Code Enforcement Officer, especially if they receive a code violation.
  Most code violations are initiated by code enforcement officers during routine patrol.  However, given the potential scope of the foreclosure crisis, residents can assist us by promptly notifying the Office of Code Enforcement of potential problem properties in their neighborhood.  Doing so can shorten our response time. Some residents have taken the initiative to mow overgrown grass at a neighboring property; however, I would hesitate to recommend this course of action.  
   Unfortunately, there does not seem to be any way to precisely forecast when this foreclosure crisis will end.  Therefore, the Office of Code Enforcement will continue being proactive early in the foreclosure process by maintaining a system to monitor new additions to the vacant and abandoned property inventory and working to resolve unsightly and potentially hazardous conditions.

   If you would like to notify the Office of Code Enforcement about a home that is unkempt or deteriorating, please call 954.921.3061.

     To find out more about the City of Hollywood or the Department of Public Utilities, please visit us on the web at www.hollywoodfl.org.