Over 100 houses need attention in County
The Scioto County Land Bank program demolished over 100 abandoned properties in 2019 and is now making plans for 2020.
County Commissioner Bryan Davis says the organization will have several reclaimed properties going up for sale this year, hopefully starting in March. The group is also in the process of making grant applications and deciding where to focus their efforts for the coming year.
Davis said the original thought was to focus on commercial properties but after a survey of the needs of cities, villages, and townships within the county, there are still quite a few homes posing a problem. He estimated that number to be over 100.
Davis said, “I think we all know about a house somewhere.”
He went on to explain that addressing a dilapidated home is harder than you might think. “When you see a house, you think the government ought to be able to do something about that.”
Davis said that regulations about maintaining property vary between cities and if taxes are paid up, it’s difficult for the county to intervene. He also cited cases where property owners may live out of state and may be difficult to contact, and in one case, not even know the property is in disrepair.
Davis related the story of a property owner who’d moved to Florida and rented out the home, unaware that the renters had stripped the property and moved out. Thanks to efforts from the City of Portsmouth, she was contacted and able to make arrangements to sell the home.
He expressed hope that the Land Bank would be able to focus 50/50 on residential and commercial properties.
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Over 100 houses need attention in County
