Blighted buildings face higher taxes; Some dispute list's accuracy, by Dan Klepal (Courier-Journal)
Banks, hundreds of individuals and a high-ranking official in Louisville's housing department own some of the nearly 1,500 blighted properties facing stiff penalties from the city, according to a metro government list.
They are being targeted under a law intended to make it more expensive for people to neglect their run-down property, a situation that can affect home values and public safety.
The law allows cities to require owners to pay triple the amount of their normal property tax bill if buildings have been unoccupied for at least one year and are unsanitary, not properly boarded, vermin-infested or unfit for human habitation. They can also face the penalty if the buildings' taxes have been delinquent for three years.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Higher taxation for blight?
There's an idea. But ya gotta be committed to collecting ...
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4 comments:
I've heard about this and think it's a sensible idea.
Speaking of blighted properties, I noticed that the vacant one across from my mom's house in the 500 block of East Market, which has boarded up windows and some type of notice on the front door, actually has a 'For Rent' sign up in front of it. Don't know what to make of that. The sign went up sometime last week, and it's chained to a city street sign.
Indiana code also allows for aggressive action against blighted and abandoned properties. There were changes to the code several years ago. I don't know what, if any, changes were made to our unsafe building ordinance to incorporate. A review is probably in order.
It's all about increasing the carrying costs for property owners doing the wrong thing. But it does require "someone" to actually enforce.
link to a blog posting a Our History
Do the additional monies all go to the taxing entity? If so, the city should look closely at this, since derelict properties are the instigators of a self-perpetuating cycle that costs all of us money. With our city strapped for cash, this could generate revenue to repair and combat the problem.
Note how they take for granted that blighted properties create public safety problems.
Note also how we're told to ignore that while negotiating over public safety salaries.
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