Published Sunday, August 15, 2010
Neighbors grumbling about overgrown lots that can drive down home values
The Newnan Times-Herald
Foreclosures continue to soar in Coweta County and, tragically, the negative effects extend far beyond the homeowners.
Neighbors are grumbling as unkempt properties drive down home values, leaving many asking what recourse Newnan or Coweta County officials have in these situations.
Some residents in Southwind at Stillwood Farms in Newnan have been growing increasingly frustrated as overgrowth on vacant lots approaches 6 feet, according to an area resident.
"It's an eyesore and it decreases property values," said one neighbor. The citizen was most concerned that the growth would hinder visibility on the roadways and create a safety hazard for school children as they enter and exit their buses.
"I don't want an innocent child to get hurt because of this overgrowth," she said.
Residents of Eastlake in SummerGrove have come before the Newnan City Council on a couple of occasions to complain about townhomes located at 63 and 67 Portico Place sitting in disrepair since early 2008 when construction was abandoned. Residents fear they are not only unsightly, but dangerous.
The unfinished townhomes are now owned by Quantum-Servicing, which has agreed to finish the properties. Newnan City Council will address this issue again at its Aug. 24 council meeting. Council members have expressed a desire to recommend the structures be repaired within 180 days.
Newnan Engineer/Public Works Director Michael Klahr said that the problem with these type of properties is that they are either privately owned, bank owned or in limbo between the two, making it very difficult to locate the responsible party. The city can't, by law, traipse onto private property to landscape.
Klahr and his crews can, however, justify maintaining the right-of-way at intersections to eliminate potential line-of-sight issues with motorists. He's personally been in touch with citizens to investigate problem areas.
Once a property is in violation of the city code, Newnan Code Enforcement Officer Matt Camp must follow a sometimes-lengthy protocol to remedy the situation.
"The city of Newnan monitors the published foreclosure notices and periodically inspects these properties," said Camp. "Structures and vacant properties that are foreclosed upon are treated as any other lot of record in Newnan with regards to code enforcement.
"Once the property contains violations, notice is mailed to the owner of the property," Camp continued. "The property owner is then given a time frame to correct the violations. If voluntary compliance is not obtained, a citation may be issued commanding the property owner to appear in Municipal Court.
"When addressing foreclosed properties, however, the process of determining and contacting the new owner is more difficult and time consuming," he added. "Depending upon the condition of any structure on the property, condemnation procedures may be necessary. The condemnation process is set in motion by the city council with guidance from the city of Newnan staff."
Coweta County handles property situations in the unincorporated areas of the county very similarly.
"If we get a complaint on tall grass in the immediate yard area or abandoned cars on an overgrown property, our ordinance allows us to go into platted subdivisions and, if the grass is over 12 inches, begin proceedings to let the owner know that he or she is in violation of the ordinance and needs to cut the grass and clean up the property," said Patricia Palmer, Coweta County public affairs director.
The top violators in the county are foreclosure properties, according to Palmer. They frequently have problems with trash and debris and overgrown bushes. They require a little more cleaning up than the average vacant lot.
The county sends notification to whomever is listed with Superior Court as the owner. If the property is in foreclosure, the bank receives the notification. The owner has 30 days to bring the property into compliance.
If the owner doesn't comply in 30 days, then the county begins a bid process to allow area landscaping companies the opportunity to clean the lot. After the lot is cleaned, the property owner is contacted a second time and given the opportunity to pay the bill for the cleanup without repercussion.
If the owner still refuses to comply within 30 days, the county files a lien on the property.
The good news is, according to Palmer, that once the county has been able to make contact with the property owner, they've "generally been able to get them to cut the grass and do the maintenance they need to do."
Last year, the county only placed liens on three properties. This year so far, the county is waiting for payment on three properties.
To report a structure or property that has fallen into disrepair within Newnan, contact the building department at 770-254-2362. To report county lots that are located within platted subdivisions, contact code enforcement at 770-2254-2669.
