This photo is one of the many homes being demolished in Youngstown this year. What took months to construct is reduced to a pile of rubble in a matter of minutes.
It is sad to think that each home was once someone's pride and joy. I'm sure every home has a wonderful story about its first occupants. Children were born and raised there. People grew old there. The story may have been repeated over again for generations.
Looking at the top floor section that remains, it doesn't look like it was in horrible condition.
There was a house on S. Portland that I saw demolished, and I had similar thoughts about it.
I wonder how the rest of that house really was. The siding looks better than mine in that picture!
I've seen some cities tear down houses to build newer communities that take off. I hope whenever they tear down these houses, that there is a future thought in mind.
I wish the outstanding taxes could be forgiven. Then, the owner of an adjacent property might be interested in buying the lot and taking care of it. The newly empty lot on Portland has, I believe, about $2000 in unpaid taxes that anyone interested in buying the land would have to pay in addition to the cost of the land itself.
I agree. When they take the property and destroy the house as a nuisance, they should give first option to the neighbors to take ownership of said land...either by emminant domain or homestead (if they still allow the ages old law). Then forgive the back taxes and be happy that the new owners will pay at least a bit into the current tax base.
In our neighborhood, the neighbors do take care of the lots where homes were demolished without having to be asked. There is only one more house to be demolished. The secret is DO NOT WAIT TO BE ASKED, just go out and do it.
The city does mow the lots were there was demolition, but they do a miserable job of it, but when the neighbors get out there and mow the grass in these lots they do it right, and within a few months, the lots look beautiful.
By the way, the city will say absolutely nothing if neighbors adopt an empty lot.
Seeing how nice these empty lots can look, one of them was purchased by a home owner whose own house joins it, and he gets out there and keeps it mowed and clean.
If more neighbors followed our lead, our whole city would look 100% better.
I agree with you also, the neighbors are the first to adopt. I still believe there should be a plan in place to forgive tax liens on these properties and allowing people to take the land over...it would only be fair for their adoption of the land.
This too would be a good idea. We all know in our heart of hearts that these lots are going to stand empty for years. If people could legally acquire them at a low price, there is a very good chance that once they hold the deed that they will build on it which would be a win win for everyone. Remember any improvement to a property makes it more valuable.
exactly. :)
I believe there is already a fairly new program called "Lien Forward Ohio" that allows exactly this type of
thing to take place. Lien Forward helps existing homeowners and potential re-developers to acquire land
that is now vacant and tax delinquent by making it possible to purchase some of the tax liens on these
parcels at a substantial discount.
There is also the land bank, which has an office on Elm Street across from Wick Park.
FYI,
Allan
:)