If you’re an investor of foreclosure investment properties in the City of Detroit or you own any vacant property within the City limits, TAKE NOTICE!

The City of Detroit has implemented a new Vacant Property Procedure intended to secure and protect vacant properties for the safety of the community. The new procedure has been implemented under the authority provided to the City by Ordinance 9-1-46B, which allows the building and safety engineering department to secure a structure if they feel an imminent danger exists.

Effective immediately, if a City inspector finds a vacant home, he/she will post an Emergency Notice on the property, giving the property owner 24-hours to secure the property in accordance with the City standards for vacant property. The standards set forth by the Building Inspector are boarding of all basement windows, any windows lower than five feet, front and back doors, and all porch windows. If the homeowner does not secure within 24-hours, the City inspector intends to board at the cost of the property owner.

Estimated Costs that the property owner will be charged are as follows:

Let me recap that for you. All first floor and basement windows need to be boarded up on all vacant houses. If a City of Detroit Inspector finds that your property is not boarded up and is vacant, they post a notice stating that it needs to be secured within 24 hours. If it isn’t secured within 24 hours, you will incur the costs listed above.

This basically means that you will be paying the fines because I’m sure you’re not at your house every day. While we see this as a good move by the City to get rid of vacant blighted houses and to make large organizations like banks and wholesale list buyers who don’t fix up properties, we believe it could be abused. There is a lot of discretion on the City Inspector as to what constitutes an unsecured vacant property. The way it looks now, any property that doesn’t have someone living in it (secure or not) could be marked.

We work with many reputable companies on boarding up houses and can recommend someone to you. Just contact us for more information. It is an additional cost to get the house boarded up but should help with stabilization of neighborhoods. In talking with Motor City Blight Busters’ owner John George, head of the Detroit non-profit, he believes strongly in boarding up vacant properties for stabilization. Vacant properties that are not boarded up provide a haven for vandalism, illicit activities, and other things that are neither good for the investor or the neighborhood.

This only reaffirms the fact that you need a strong on the ground team that can help you navigate ordinances and nuances with the City of Detroit. There is a tremendous opportunity for everyone in Detroit that works with people that have strong systems and processes in place.

This information was received from a notice by the Detroit Association of REALTORS® (DAR). The DAR has formed a Task Force in opposition to this policy and has met with officials from the City of Detroit to protest the policy and convey their concerns. If you would like to participate on the DAR Task Force, please contact the DAR by phone at (313) 962-1313

Successfully Yours,
Jared Pomranky

Detroit foreclosure search

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