Local Ordinance Passed

Hazel Park, a city located in Southeastern Michigan’s Oakland County, recently passed an ordinance that will assist them to track the status of hundreds of properties in the city. This new law wil assist them in their efforts to hold the owners of those properties responsible for property maintenance and safety, and will allow them regulate and account for vacant and abandoned structures, and to impose registration requirements, fees and penalties for noncompliance.

Forclosure Problems

Hazel Park is just like many other communities in the area that are having issues with foreclosures due to the current slump in the economy. The intent of this ordinance, and similar ordinances in these other communities are not aimed at private homeowners, although anyone owning a home that sits empty would be required to maintain the property or face action by city code enforcement officers.

Officials said the issue rests more with banks and investors who hold mortgages for currently vacant properties that are either falling into disrepair, are subject to break-ins, or have external debris or overgrown vegetation causing blight in the neighborhood.

Jan Drumm, Hazel Park city attorney says, “The vacant homes are leading to blight and vandalism, and we had to take some sort of action in order to make sure they will properly maintain the property”.

Ordinances such as this one in Hazel Park, as well as similar ordinances in other municipalities, will allow each city council to set fees for the registration of abandoned homes and impose monthly administrative costs for abandoned properties.