Bill would shield banks from maintaining foreclosed homes

Some Florida taxpayers already cover maintenance expenses

By Jennifer Gollan |South Florida Sun Sentinel

April 27, 2009

Coconut Creek spent about $70,000 last year to maintain and then demolish a derelict foreclosed home in the South Creek neighborhood.

For more than 18 months, city workers mowed the lawn, fixed fences and warded off mosquitoes with repellent.

Finally, they gave up and just razed it.

Across the state, local governments are grappling with a flood of such distressed properties. While many in Broward County Click here for restaurant inspection reports bill banks for tidying neglected properties, a few cities, such as Coconut Creek and Lighthouse Point, absorb some costs. Lauderdale-by-the-Sea has persuaded lenders to maintain about a dozen homes.

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This is outrangeous! It’s bad enough that the government is using our tax dollars to bail these people out, then to add insult to injury, the banks want the cities to pay for the maintenance until they get “title” – that means the taxpayer will have to pay for this. I think we all should tell this Republican Legislature what is the right thing to do!