24. How Blight and Abandonment Injures Citizens

At the Sharon City Council meeting on 05-15-2018, a citizen shared that the property beside his home was blighted and abandoned. Coincidentally the owner of the property was in attendance. 

The citizen described that the house was stripped to its studs without function heating system, water supply, elctricla system, etc. Photographs were shown of an exterior with a non-functioning flaked paint, an absence of gutters, non-functioning exterior steps. Photographs were shown of a gutted interior with floors strewn with broken wooden lathing. 

The owner indicated he was unaware of the condition of the house and that he look at it after the meeting. He said he would be happy to sell it to the citizen. 

Examining the Tax Parcel website maintained by the County it was learned that it was sold to the current owner 06-25-2015, for the sale amount of $150.00. (4 L 54). The webpage further showed that the County tax is $204.57, Municipal tax (Sharon) is $643.65 and the School tax is $643.65. 

Given that the amount of the sale was $150.00 the assumption is that the property was acquired at Judicial Sale for the nominal figure. However, the additional administrative costs of the Tax Claim Bureau to conduct the sale would have been met for the sale and are not part of the sale price.

My suggestion to my fellow Sharonite would be to offer the current owner to double his money with $300.00 cash. Then my fellow Sharonite can nibble the building down into three foot pieces over a number of months with a sawzall and three dozen blades. Disposal could be through his toter and any space his neighbors might share with their toters!