October 25, 2010
Mayor Wharton to Sue Over 100 Property Owners
Lawsuits Part of City Anti-Blight Initiative
Mayor A C Wharton is taking Memphis slumlords to court. Tuesday the mayor is filing more than 130 lawsuits in an effort to go after the property owners of abandoned and neglected homes and buildings.
The mayor makes no bones about it, saying blight is destroying our neighborhoods. While the city attorney's office is going after many property owners, they plan to take more aggressive action with the owners of multiple problem properties.
On a street where even a re-development center is boarded up, residents near the 600-block of Alabama said they're tired of rundown vacant homes and buildings dotting their neighborhood.
"During the summer time it's like a jungle right here," said neighbor Jessica Rodgers. "It's embarrassing to live here."
It's also dangerous. Earlier this month, the district attorney's office boarded up a home on Alabama. Investigators said in just the last year, it's been the scene of kidnappings, rapes and drug deals.
"There's a lot of kids, that's one main reason these homes need to be torn down, keep outsiders out," said neighbor James Cunningham.
Now Memphis Mayor A C Wharton is trying to rid neighborhoods of sites like this. Tuesday, he's filing 135 lawsuits under the Neighborhood Preservation Act. He'll be suing owners of neglected and abandoned property in Memphis.
The city's asking the court to order the properties be demolished, rehabbed or for the owners to forfeit the titles to the homes.
The city plans to take a more aggressive approach with the owners of multiple problem properties, specifically lenders not maintaining foreclosed property and investors who buy foreclosures but don't maintain them. They want to try to prohibit them from continuing to let property fall into disrepair and go after monetary damages.
The mayor said the city is making an unprecedented investment by going after property owners who believe there's no cost to leaving their problems for everyone else.
"All of North Memphis is full of abandoned houses," observed Cunningham.
The mayor said the lawsuits filed Tuesday will be the first in a 2 year civil litigation effort to reduce and remove blight in the city. The lawsuits are being filed on the 1 year anniversary of Mayor Wharton being in office.
Mayor Wharton to Sue Over 100 Property Owners
Lawsuits Part of City Anti-Blight Initiative
Mayor A C Wharton is taking Memphis slumlords to court. Tuesday the mayor is filing more than 130 lawsuits in an effort to go after the property owners of abandoned and neglected homes and buildings.
The mayor makes no bones about it, saying blight is destroying our neighborhoods. While the city attorney's office is going after many property owners, they plan to take more aggressive action with the owners of multiple problem properties.
On a street where even a re-development center is boarded up, residents near the 600-block of Alabama said they're tired of rundown vacant homes and buildings dotting their neighborhood.
"During the summer time it's like a jungle right here," said neighbor Jessica Rodgers. "It's embarrassing to live here."
It's also dangerous. Earlier this month, the district attorney's office boarded up a home on Alabama. Investigators said in just the last year, it's been the scene of kidnappings, rapes and drug deals.
"There's a lot of kids, that's one main reason these homes need to be torn down, keep outsiders out," said neighbor James Cunningham.
Now Memphis Mayor A C Wharton is trying to rid neighborhoods of sites like this. Tuesday, he's filing 135 lawsuits under the Neighborhood Preservation Act. He'll be suing owners of neglected and abandoned property in Memphis.
The city's asking the court to order the properties be demolished, rehabbed or for the owners to forfeit the titles to the homes.
The city plans to take a more aggressive approach with the owners of multiple problem properties, specifically lenders not maintaining foreclosed property and investors who buy foreclosures but don't maintain them. They want to try to prohibit them from continuing to let property fall into disrepair and go after monetary damages.
The mayor said the city is making an unprecedented investment by going after property owners who believe there's no cost to leaving their problems for everyone else.
"All of North Memphis is full of abandoned houses," observed Cunningham.
The mayor said the lawsuits filed Tuesday will be the first in a 2 year civil litigation effort to reduce and remove blight in the city. The lawsuits are being filed on the 1 year anniversary of Mayor Wharton being in office.
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