Governor’s Housing ConferenceRestoring Communities Across Maryland

Protecting Communities from Vacant and Foreclosed Properties

October 16, 2012Jason Hessler

Assistant Commissioner of Litigation

Baltimore City Overview

Population: 620,000

Open violation Notices: 29,510

Vacant Building Notices: 16,106

Property Maintenance Inspectors: 87

Inspections completed in FY’12: 287,000

Work Orders Completed in FY ’12: 52,193

What we are doing to combat vacant properties

Building Code Enforcement Capacity:What tools are critical and how do you get there?

Enforcement• Administrative citations• Rely on executive authority wherever

possible and resort to judiciary only where necessary

• Trained Investigators• Dedicated code enforcement attorneys

Business processes that maximize productivity

• New tools and business processes have been programmed into code enforcement’s automated business systems.

• Within the first 12 months of launch, code enforcement will likely issue 1,000 citations for failing to abate a violation notice -effectively doubling enforcement capacity while at the same time reducing the wait time for results by more than 50%.

The Code EnforcementTimeline

Clean & Lien

Demolition

Trained Investigator

Dedicated Attorneys and Court

Unoccupied vs. Vacant• Unoccupied not Vacant – Keep an eye on it.

– Issue violation notice at first signs of decline.– Require a registration.

• Vacant foreclosed home– Locate responsible party– Clean, Secure and Lien Property– Keep them on a short lease– Litigate if necessary

• Injunction vs. Receivership

Code Enforcement works by leveraging private resources, if resources are not there, code enforcement cannot successfully leverage an outcome.

GIS Mapping

Receivership Filings

Promote community involvement through access to data and an on-

ramp to government.

Communicate with the Community

Be Responsive

Tips

•Property address

•Mail-to address

•Is the property registered?

•Has the owner pulled any permits?

•Do they own any other properties?

–Are any of these properties registered? If so, repeat analysis.

•Are the taxes paid?

•Are there additional names listed on the deed? If so, repeat analysis.

•Where is the water bill mailed?

•Have they filed for bankruptcy?

Create a checklist

Identify In-House Resources

Baltimore City Data Sources:

• Land Records (BITS)

• Property Registration

• Licensing

• Permits

• Prior Code Actions

• Investigator Files

• Tax payments

• Water bills

Foreclosure Registry Database

Free on the web• Google Search (Web sites), www.google.com• Phone book, www.superpages.com• Pipl, www.pipl.com• Facebook,, Myspace, linkedIn• SS Death Index, http://ssdi.rootsweb.ancestry.com , (No longer free)• FDIC (Banks), www.fdic.gov• National Information Center (Banking Institution Search),

http://www.ffiec.gov/nicpubweb/nicweb/nichome.aspx• MD Register of Wills, http://registers.maryland.gov• Case Search, http://casesearch.courts.state.md.us (Judgment/Lien Search)• SDAT, http://www.dat.state.md.us/• MD Land Records, www.mdlandrec.net• National Registered agent link, http://www.registeredagentinfo.com/• Short Sale Lender site,

http://www.short-sale-specialists.com/community_reports.shtml• MERS, http://www.mersinc.org/• Federal Inmate search, http://www.bop.gov/iloc2/LocateInmate.jsp• State Inmate Search, http://www.dpscs.state.md.us/inmate

Maryland Case Search

http://casesearch.courts.state.md.us

www.mdlandrec.net

Mortgage Electronic Registration System

Other Resources

• Knock on doors and ask neighbors

• Motor Vehicle Records.

• Fee Based Internet Services, Accurint, CLEAR

– www.accurint.com

– www.west.thomson.com/westlaw

Jason Hessler, Assistant CommissionerBaltimore Housing

Permits and Code Enforcement Legal Section 417 E. Fayette St, Room 355

Baltimore, MD 21202410-396-4140

jason.hessler@baltimorecity.govwww.baltimorehousing.org