The Birmingham City Council this week took aim at improving neighborhoods, both by removing dilapidated structures and by helping residents make their own homes better.
The council got an update on a proposal to take over neglected properties in the city, which contribute to blight in various neighborhoods. In a summary of the meeting, the council noted that the proposed ordinance, which is expected to be considered by the full council in a few weeks, “ is about holding absentee owners accountable for neglecting their properties in an effort to revitalize our neighborhoods.”
Birmingham is among other Alabama cities set to benefit from a recent change in state law that makes it easier to move on properties subject to unpaid liens against vacant dilapidated houses. When the city fines an absentee landlord, either for cutting weeds or for tearing down damaged, dangerous houses, the fines often go unpaid. The new state law makes it possible for the city to more quickly recoup those costs by obtaining the properties, which can then be sold or otherwise utilized…