City of South Euclid

Hidden Dangers

How do structures become vacant?  Foreclosure  Bank Walk-Away  Owner abandons property  Owner dies; no heirs care for property

Foreclosure Filings by Year

Unattended properties can lead to quick and serious decline, resulting in life, health and safety issues. Water damage resulting in mold and structural damage.

Water damage CEILING WALL

Water damage Water damage/Mold

Why register???

In an effort to identify the status of properties and ensure appropriate property maintenance, the Department of Building and Housing has decided to initiate a Vacant Property Registry. We have always appreciated the time and care that our residents put into their homes, making our city a beautiful place to live. We want to protect our residents’ investments and require accountability from faceless entities that are purchasing homes in South Euclid and not maintaining these structures to the standards set by our code and our residents. The city of South Euclid has always been a proactive leader in dealing with foreclosures and vacant structures. We know that this registry will assist us in tracking our vacant structures and holding the appropriate entity responsible to ensure proper maintenance.

The most important reasons for registration are:  Confirming the status of a property (vacant/occupied)  Collecting contact information to ensure year round exterior and interior maintenance  Ensure that all vacant homes are free from life, health and safety hazards and that they are habitable

Why Inspect??? Vacant structures deteriorate at a surprisingly fast pace. What results is a structure with numerous life, health and safety issues. Frequently, the issues are not found until well after the purchase of the structure and the rehab has begun. Many code violations and life, health and safety issues are not realized early on due to several reasons, such as discontinued utilities, lack of disclosure and absence of home inspections by a licensed private home inspector. What results is a structure that is unsafe and requires substantial time and money to remove all hazards. It is the duty of the Building and Housing Department to ensure that all structures in the city are safe and habitable.

What missing??? GAS METER HOT WATER TANK SINK AND FIXTURESMEDICINE CABINET

The Vacant Property Registration would also require an interior and exterior inspection to ensure that vacant structures are safe and habitable. The inspection would outline all areas of work that need to be completed as well as what items need permits from the Building Department. Much like a fire inspection, the Building Inspector would assess the structure and guide the new owner by giving them a list of all code violations. Escrow would be required to ensure that the buyer has the required funds to complete the work. We have found that many new homeowners do not have the complete funds to bring the house up to code but do not realize this until after they have already purchased the property. Like our Rental Inspection Program and Exterior Maintenance Program, this inspection would serve as another opportunity to educate the homeowner about proper home maintenance.

Abandoned properties are prey for underfinanced and inexperienced rehabbers and homeowners.

Challenges

Many challenges face our staff when addressing issues with vacant structures.  IDENTIFICATION: Confirming the status of a property (vacant/occupied); neighbors care for vacant homes/lots, legal limbo, toxic titles, inability to identify responsible party  MAINTENANCE: Difficulty in enforcing maintenance (exterior and interior), absenteeism leads to quick decline to structure  ACCOUNTABILITY: Strict codes require court action for noncompliance, currently we can only successfully enforce this on occupied homes; registration would provide contact information for responsible parties

Support

 Berea, Ohio  Canton, Ohio  Cincinnati, Ohio  Cleveland Heights, Ohio  Euclid, Ohio  Maple Heights, Ohio  Olmstead Falls, Ohio  Parma, Ohio  Toledo, Ohio  Twinsburg, Ohio  Warrensville Heights, Ohio Other Ohio communities with Vacant Property Registries:

Questions and Discussion