Local Government to You: “We are sorry you lost your home, you now owe me $10,000 because your house is ugly”

With so many people losing their home this year, it has created an eyesore for the cities with abandoned homes and 93 cities have now passed laws against them.

Some cities limit the time you can use wood to board up a home, and some like Garland, TX will even charge a $2,500 bond that will be used for upkeep. In Providence, RI there will be up to a 10% charge of the value of the home.

The city wants to keep their lawns attractive, and they are willing to kick those who are already down, is how I see it. Property value, and city attractiveness is the business of the cities, I agree, but where were these cities a year ago helping their citizens to get jobs?

This is the wrong band-aid that wont work. Do you think in a million years that these people who foreclosed on a home are able to pay fines? Plus, couldn’t they just add the city to their creditor list in bankruptcy? Either way, the city will not be getting all the money, and this is an overreaction to the abandoned home issue. Cities need to take responsibility for their own problems, such as the fact that they don’t have enough jobs for the number of houses they have.

Link:

USA Today “More laws target owners of abandoned houses”: http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/housing/2008-11-09-plywood_N.htm?csp=34#uslPageReturn