Abandoned homes often stand out among other residential properties, but new legislation being introduced by a southern Indiana State Representative aims to address the issue of abandoned houses.
Back in January 2012, State Rep. Ed Clere said, “vacant and abandoned houses are a big problem for neighborhoods and communities,” now Clere plans on introducing a bill that would allow municipalities, cities and non-profits to create land banks to sell abandoned properties. These land banks would obtain, maintain and then sell abandoned properties to get them back on the tax rolls.
The measure also attempts to move toward specific funding for such land banks, instead of simply relying on funds from the county or city budgets. If passed, the legislation would allow the government to keep the fees gained from late tax payments and sell unused properties after the tax lines have been foreclosed.
