Hillsborough County Ordinance Helps Neighborhoods with Abandoned/Foreclosed Homes

Hillsborough County is making sure abandoned and foreclosed homes remain maintained. We know that abandoned and foreclosed homes can become eyesores in a neighborhood. It is a given that there will be overgrown grass and bushes when no one is living in and maintaining a home. Neighbors are the ones left behind to deal with the problems that may arise. Not only does it not help with the property value of the homes in the area, a visibly abandoned home attract crime. When there is no one home vandals or squatters may choose to enter the home and cause damage.

Areas across the United States, Florida and the Tampa Bay area are creating ordinances to help neighborhoods that have had to deal with the surge in abandoned and foreclosed homes that the bust of the housing bubble has caused.

Hillsborough County will become one of 13 local governments in Florida that have a new foreclosed property registry on their books. The County’s new Property Registration Ordinance becomes effective on Monday, Nov. 2.

The new ordinance requires lending institutions to register all vacant, abandoned and foreclosed properties with Hillsborough County Code Enforcement, and provide periodic inspections of the property. Each registration costs the mortgage company $100 per property.

The new ordinance applies only to properties in the unincorporated areas of Hillsborough County, and only pertains to properties that are abandoned or vacant, and are in some stage of foreclosure.

The intent of the Ordinance is to maintain a listing of these properties for periodic inspection to ensure compliance with Hillsborough County’s Property Maintenance Code. Abandoned properties that develop overgrown conditions and have unsecured, accessible structures can lower neighbors’ property values, foster an unsafe and unhealthy environment for children, and are an open invitation to thieves and gangs.

For information, log onto Hillsborough County Code Enforcement on the County’s Web site at www.hillsboroughcounty.org/hcce/ and click on Abandoned Property Registration on top of the page.

Tampa Parent
Author: Tampa Parent

2 Comments

  1. For sure the abandoned homes really don’t help the neighborhood… Don’t help even the own home that needs to be sold again due to foreclosure. What Hillsborough is doing is something very special and very positive for the owners

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