Jackson Free Press

The city has a new weapon against dilapidated and abandoned property thanks to a new state law that will make it easier for the city to collect fines on those properties, Jackson Planning and Development Director Corinne Fox said yesterday.

Earlier this year, Rep. Credell Calhoun, D-Jackson, submitted House Bill 1412 to the Legislature and Jackson Policy Director and lobbyist Walter Zinn advocated for the law on the city's behalf. The bill, which went into effect July 1, allows the city to impose up to a $1,500 penalty to clean up or tear down neglected property, or require property owners to pay half the cost of the work--whichever is more. The amount cannot exceed $20,000.

The city has roughly $270,000 in general fund money and $450,000 in Community Development Block Grant funding for demolition work.

Leo Stevens, manager for the city's Development Assistance Division, said the city still has about $100,000 of its $450,000 CDBG funding for fiscal year 2010. Traditionally, demolition and clean-up work was a net loss for the city because the city did not recoup those costs from the negligent property owners until the property owner decided to sell his or her property. Until the date of the sale, however, the owner could simply ignore a growing pile of new liens the city placed upon the property for repeated cleaning or one-time demolition work.

"What used to happen is the city would put a lien on the property, (for cleaning and home demolition), but it was strictly voluntary for the owner to pay it. They could go pay their taxes, but they wouldn't pay their lien. They would just keep adding and adding onto it. But then we got legislation passed last year that changes that," Fox told the Jackson Free Press.

Jackson Community Improvement Manager Claude Smith said the law is still young, but he is already seeing an increase in the number of people who are coming forward to reimburse the city for cleaning and dilapidated home removal.

"It's only been in effect since July 1, but we do see a lot more people coming in and actually paying their bill for when we have to clean it up. And we have some demolition cases where the property owner comes in and pays the full amount for demolition," Smith said. "Just knowing they can pay it now or they'll have to pay it at the end of the year is a plus for us, and that money goes back into the city general fund, so we don't go broke tearing down dilapidated houses or cleaning property."

Furthermore, the new law states that all assessment cost are delinquent at the same time other municipal ad valorem taxes are delinquent.

Those delinquencies make a difference, especially when the property owner is of the type who rarely returns calls. The city can also sell the property for the nonpayment of an assessment under the new law in the same manner the city could sell property for delinquent ad valorem taxes.

Previous Comments

ID

159866

Comment

What: no sledgehammers!?! Imagine.

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2010-09-21T14:23:18-06:00

ID

159868

Comment

The way Frank did it was faster, more dramatic, impactful and newsworthy.

Author

Walt

Date

2010-09-21T16:21:56-06:00

ID

159874

Comment

Hardly newsworthy. Let's let Frank the Buffoon rest in peace please.

Author

redlion

Date

2010-09-21T21:32:58-06:00

ID

159877

Comment

Or burning down houses, like Frank did before the MDEQ stepped in.

Author

golden eagle

Date

2010-09-22T08:09:01-06:00

ID

159878

Comment

Sorry, redlion, I earned the right to be snide about Mr. Melton whenever I want (and to be kind toward him when I feel like it as well). Besides, my snideness here isn't actually directed at him. It's at all those people who build him up, funded him, defended him, and covered up for him over the years -- and somehow believed that a "loose cannon" would be good leading Jackson. Thank God, the city seems to be growing up a bit since all that. But we must never forget.

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2010-09-22T08:42:19-06:00

ID

159879

Comment

[quote]...Leo Stevens, manager for the city's Development Assistance Division, said the city still has about $100,000 of its $450,000 CDBG funding for fiscal year 201. Traditionally, demolition and clean-up work was a net loss for the city because the city did not those costs from the negligent property owners until the property owner decided to sell his or her property. [/quote] WHAT? Edit please. And yeah it is nice to see grown-ups in charge of City Hall again.

Author

Jeff Lucas

Date

2010-09-22T09:28:22-06:00

ID

159883

Comment

Sorry Jeff, fixed now.

Author

Lacey McLaughlin

Date

2010-09-22T10:59:41-06:00

ID

159919

Comment

Sure Donna, no problem. I am certainly no FM fan. I just think the less I hear about his crazy butt the better i feel. And the better I feel about Jackson. His reign was four years of pure hell.

Author

redlion

Date

2010-09-22T22:05:27-06:00

ID

159922

Comment

Understood, redlion. No doubt that it was pure hell, and in ways people probably still don't realize. However, in some ways at least, the city is probably better for the lessons learned and perhaps not so eager to follow powerful interest groups (who are willing to gloss over serious flaws in candidates) down mayoral rabbit holes. At least that was the case in the last election. We'll see going forward. Also, the obsession with crime is at least marginally better now. People seem to have realized that no mayor, or chief, is going to come into a poverty-stricken area where much of the tax base fled when the schools were integrated and save us from crime overnight. It does take a village, and time.

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2010-09-23T08:47:49-06:00