Several block watches in Youngstown want to take on the task of cutting high grass on vacant properties where foreclosure bonds had been issued. The groups would charge $150 per cutting.
Who would be paying the $150.00 and is this a per grass cutting or for a year? It's a good idea because the city only cuts the grass on empty lots.
Would the Block Watches sign contracts for the lots they will mow, and what would happen if one of the Block Watches couldn't get enough of their members to help?
Would this be confined to the area that the Block Watches cover, or would they also include areas that are next to their area but have no block watch?
Is that the going rate to mow grass on a tiny city lot these days?
Dang, that sounds like a pretty high price.
I like the continuation of the have-not mentality. First, let's make the "lender, bank" be responsible for the abandoned leveraged house.....then pass a law demanding a $10,000 bond......now let's grab some of that bond money buying sending Jonny to mow the grass and we make $150!
Just can't get "taking" off of our minds.
IF the $150 is for the whole season, then that MIGHT be reasonable PROVIDED they do more than just mow the grass. IF on the other hand they wait until the grass get's hip deep, then the $150 is $140 too much.
Ron is absolutely correct - the city passed an ordinance collecing a $10,000 **per property**
when they go into foreclosure - these funds are supposed to be set aside as a guarantee
that the banks will take care of the properties, cut the grass, etc while they are "real
estate owned" properties.
If the bank does not cut the grass, the CITY is supposed to come and do it - and then take
the funds out of the bond posted by the bank. When I read the article about this quite a
while back, they city had already collected in the neighborhood of a million dollars in bond
money.
Rick - I agree that if the block watches want $150 to cut the grass (one-time basis?) then
the banks would be better off hiring a teenager who needs a few extra dollars to do it
for far, far less. An enterprising young person could make a nice chunk of change over
the summer.
The goal is to have the grass at these vacant homes nicely cut on a regular basis. The banks should be doing this but in many cases they are not. In our area, neighbors cut their grass at least once a week during the spring growing season.
A house with high grass is a sign that the structure may be vacant. Vandals then commit property damage and theft.
Quote from: jay on January 29, 2015, 05:29:40 AM
The goal is to have the grass at these vacant homes nicely cut on a regular basis. The banks should be doing this but in many cases they are not. In our area, neighbors cut their grass at least once a week during the spring growing season.
A house with high grass is a sign that the structure may be vacant. Vandals then commit property damage and theft.
Jay, the city needs to step up and take care of the problem themselves - for the very reasons I already mentioned in my
last post - and need not repeat. They already have a 1 MILLION dollar fund to pay for the grass cutting, as well as plenty
of employees and equipment to do it properly,
As for the high grass being a sign of a vacant property - everyone is already abundantly aware of this fact, given the huge
number of vacant properties across the entire city......preaching to the choir, here
Allan is right. You takers already have the money to cut the grass. What's going to stump the City is the priorities of liens.