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Municipal Association of South Carolina

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Rehabilitation of Abandoned and Dilapidated Buildings

Challenge

Dilapidated and abandoned buildings are unsafe and create a dangerous environment often thwarting economic development opportunities for the surrounding area.
Dilapidated buildings diminish the quality of life of a community.
Dilapidated buildings create an economic and financial drain on community resources.

Examples are abandoned homes becoming drug houses (meth labs and crack houses).

Abandoned industrial properties can become an illegal dumping site.

Solution

SC needs more flexibility in dealing with dilapidated and abandoned property.

Options other than condemning a building are needed because

Condemnation costs all parties.
Condemnation’s highest cost is to local taxpayers.

Local governments need options to partner with private sector and nonprofits to remedy problems.
Local governments need options that help to salvage property when the owner refuses or is unable to do so.
Local governments need options that create opportunities to improve existing commercial and residential property.

Talking points

Address properties with serious code violations which constitute major or imminent public hazard
Traditional methods of code enforcement have limitations when certain factors exist

Property owners’ financial hardships
Absentee property owners

Receivership is an alternative to condemnation of the property by a public entity

City avoids public taking.

Owner-occupied homes are excluded from receivership action.
Owner of record and lien holders have opportunities to take responsibility during process