The many root causes of the housing crisis need to be addressed by ensuring discrimination does not take place in the banking industry, during foreclosure, and also in the housing inspection and planning processes.
I do believe other things can and need to be done by regular citizens. I research owners of properties before ever going to the City of Dayton with a complaint. I have encountered several reasons for the vacancy and blight in the northwest Dayton or FROC Priority Board area. Many times, I have been able to get things done without ever having to turn anything into City of Dayton housing inspection, thus saving taxpayer money and establishing communication with owners.
I contact owners, realtors, banks and property management companies for remedy of blight. One root cause of vacancy in the area not often discussed is death of the owner. Baby Boomers are currently the largest section of the population and most times when I’ve come across a deceased owner in the area, there is no probate case. If this is the largest portion of the population, and if there are heirs, they do not want to take ownership of the properties here in Dayton. There must be another answer.
Another problem I have encountered is properties that have been vacant for long periods of time and do not go into the cycle of sheriff sale. It is my understanding that sheriff sale will try three times to sell a property at auction. These properties then continue to stay vacant and continue to accumulate unpaid property taxes with no new owners. Properties need to be in some type of circulation for a new owner to reduce the number of properties that are going to be demolished. LLC’s have differing results. The Ohio Secretary of State requires an LLC to have an in-state representative, but I have encountered situations where there is not one, or that person is no longer working for the LLC, or deceased, and so that requirement is also not enforced and needs to be changed.
Municipalities such as the City of Dayton and the State of Ohio need to move on properties they currently own.
Currently, in our Dayton Municipal Housing Court, out-of-state owners that do not have an Ohio driver’s license cannot be held responsible for properties in the City of Dayton. So, even having owner information doesn’t guarantee accountability by our Dayton court system.
I firmly believe the “Lot Links” program needs to be re-established. Any property left vacant with more than two years accrued taxes should be available for purchase. Getting all properties back into some type of production is needed or demolition is imminent. I am grateful for current past demolitions that have occurred but more funding is needed if the property is not put into some type of production.
I do not think the Neighborhood Protection Act is going to work if it is not going to be enforced. If it has the same enforcement as the Montgomery County Ohio Auditor’s rental registration, where is the accountability? The Act needs to include all board members as well as the above recommendations.
Lynn LaMance started the nonprofit Dayton Blight, which contacts owners of properties to get things cleaned up and secured before going to the City of Dayton. Learn more at facebook.com/cleanupdaytonalleys.
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