There’s a bill pending in Illinois which would allow local governments to pass ordinances that would make lenders responsible for the upkeep of vacant properties in foreclosure. Needless […]
Building Codes / Code Enforcement / property maintenance
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Problem properties with expired permits
Building officials are dealing with structures that have not been completed within a reasonable amount of time. Many of these situations arise because of the financial problems of […]
Building Codes / Code Enforcement / Fire Prevention / Foreclosure / Law Enforcement and Codes / property maintenance / training
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Reflections on Midwest tour
I recently completed a 2 month period of travel all over the Midwest doing trainings for building officials, fire inspectors, property maintenance and housing inspectors and law enforcement […]
Building Codes / Code Enforcement / Foreclosure / property maintenance
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Tenants Pressure Lenders to Repair Buildings
Should lenders allow buyers to purchase a foreclosed building for less than what the lender can get for the property so the buyer has enough money left over […]
Building Codes / Code Enforcement / Fire Prevention / Foreclosure / property maintenance
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Foreclosure and legal limbo
One of the most difficult situations I deal with as a prosecutor is trying to find someone to take responsibility for a property where it is in foreclosure, […]
Building Codes / Code Enforcement / property maintenance
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Using Social Media to Track Slum Landlords
The New York Times has a story about a new website that tracks slum landlords in New York city. Tenants can find out about any landlord’s portfolio by […]
Code Enforcement / Foreclosure / property maintenance
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America’s Foreclosure Ghost Towns
Is your city included in this list: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/30/foreclosures-ghost-towns_n_840663.html#s259246&title=Cleveland_Ohio ? It shows us that the crisis is not behind us yet and we’re going to continue to have problems […]
Building Codes / Code Enforcement / Fire Prevention / Foreclosure / property maintenance
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Condo Blues
I was recently contacted by someone who is gathering data on the housing market with a special interest in the health of condominium associations. He was concerned that […]
Building Codes / Code Enforcement / Fire Prevention / property maintenance / rental inspections
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The need for rental inspections
No better case can be made for rental inspections than when a terrible fire happens. In San Bernadino, California, 26 dwelling units were destroyed in a fire. When […]
Building Codes / Code Enforcement / Fire Prevention / Politics and building codes / property maintenance
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New York City launches new initiative to catch building code violations
It’s always heartening to see a city realizing that aggressive, not passive, code enforcement is what is necessary to protect communities. The New York City Department of Housing […]