Louisville's revolutionary conclusion: "Vacant buildings cost taxpayers by reducing the value of properties nearby."

The following article from the Courier-Journal has been making the rounds by e-mail. Those members of ROCK who embrace the concept of "property values" in the argument against free speech might glance at a few of the statistics below.

Meanwhile, have you ever wondered why matters like this elude the platforms of local political parties?

That's easy. They fear platforms the way that vampires fear daylight.

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Louisville targets owners of blighted buildings; Owners may be hit with triple tax bills, by Dan Klepal

The Louisville Metro Department of Housing referred 2,400 dilapidated homes and vacant lots in Jefferson County to the property valuation administrator's
office -- starting a process that could result in owners having to pay triple their normal property tax bills.

The referrals were made under a law intended to make it more expensive for people to neglect derelict buildings or unkempt lawns.

PVA officials say the reason for the law is simple: Vacant buildings cost taxpayers by reducing the value of properties nearby. They also cause more fire runs, according to a study by the nonprofit National Vacant Properties Campaign.

Under department rules, a building or property is considered blighted if it's been unoccupied at least one year, is unsanitary, not properly boarded, vermin-infested, unfit for human habitation or been tax-delinquent three years.

"It's a good program because it really helps neighborhoods, and the city's tax roll," said Tony Lindauer, Jefferson County property valuation administrator. "This gives the owners the incentive to get off the stick."

The department referred about the same number of properties in 2007. But Lindauer suspended the program last year because he did not think there was enough research on the properties to ensure they met the blight definition. There also was no appeals process for people whose property was wrongly cited, he said.

This year Louisville Metro Housing Director Bob French said the city is checking water and electric records for each building referral to ensure they've been unoccupied for a year. He also established an appeal process, which the city's Vacant Property Review Commission will handle.

"This program means it is not inexpensive for (owners) to do nothing with their properties," he said.

Property owners will get letters stating their properties are blighted, and their tax bills will be tripled. The letters go out March 1; the appeal deadline is May 31.

French said blighted buildings have a dramatic impact on their surroundings. Consider the findings of the National Vacant Properties Campaign, which used government grants to study the cost of vacant buildings and lots:

• Houses within 150 feet of a vacant or abandoned property experienced an average net loss of $7,627 in value.

• Blocks with unsecured buildings had 3.2 times as many calls to police, 1.8 times as many thefts and twice the number of reported violent crimes as blocks with no vacant buildings.

• More than 12,000 fires erupt in vacant buildings each year, resulting in $73 million in property damage.

French said property owners who get letters can also call the department if they think their properties were cited in error.

The list of properties is still in draft form -- and French would not release it. However, he did review the list and reported that none of the targeted properties are owned by Louisville metro government.

"Blight affects the property of the guy next door," he said. "For the owners of these properties, this should get their attention."