Are Forclosures Trashing Your Neighborhood ?
Mark Yurex, of Middle River Terrace, says it's certainly ruining his !
Middle River Terrace is a middle class, mostly blue collar neighborhood that sits almost exactly, (geographically), in the middle of Fort Lauderdale. It's had it's share of problems over the last twenty years, but soared in value, and stabilized, during the boom years.
And like other neighborhoods in Fort Lauderdale and elsewhere, the boom went bust. Lots of would be millionaires just packed up the dishes and flew the coop. Here is what they are leaving behind!
How would you like to live next door to this beauty of a pool?
Thought buying a home on the water would protect you from bad neighbors? ... Guess again.
Is this home using the Real Estate tip of "curb appeal"? NOT!
So what's the City doing about it?
According to Michael Maloney, Code Enforcement Manager for the City, the City is keenly aware of the problem, has established a Task force and is working on solutions to the problem. He says that Yurex's neighbor's house is on the bad list, and they are trying to figure out how to tackle the problem. He says that the wrinkle is that no one claims responsibility for many of these properties, and the City Ordinances aren't strong enough to fix this complicated mess. He lamented that there are "100's and 100's" of these abandoned and degrading homes, dispersed "through-out the City".
He also said that the City Commission is looking for the City Management to suggest new laws that will be effective. Until then, the City is adverse to just swooping in, draining the pools, and mowing the grass, as the City wouldn't ever be paid for their efforts.
As far as Yurex is concerned, he could care less if the city collects or not. He doesn't feel the City should let these dangerous and rotten conditions exist. In a letter today to the Mayor and City Commission, he rather forcefully states that he is tired of the City's excuse. "Since my letter of two weeks ago, the weeds are two weeks taller, the pool and ponds have been the breeding ground for a million more mosquitoes, and my property values continue to drop".
When Code Manager Maloney was reached for a comment, he said the pools and ponds would be treated tomorrow.
Something should be done!
Middle River Terrace is a middle class, mostly blue collar neighborhood that sits almost exactly, (geographically), in the middle of Fort Lauderdale. It's had it's share of problems over the last twenty years, but soared in value, and stabilized, during the boom years.
And like other neighborhoods in Fort Lauderdale and elsewhere, the boom went bust. Lots of would be millionaires just packed up the dishes and flew the coop. Here is what they are leaving behind!
How would you like to live next door to this beauty of a pool?
Thought buying a home on the water would protect you from bad neighbors? ... Guess again.
Is this home using the Real Estate tip of "curb appeal"? NOT!
So what's the City doing about it?
According to Michael Maloney, Code Enforcement Manager for the City, the City is keenly aware of the problem, has established a Task force and is working on solutions to the problem. He says that Yurex's neighbor's house is on the bad list, and they are trying to figure out how to tackle the problem. He says that the wrinkle is that no one claims responsibility for many of these properties, and the City Ordinances aren't strong enough to fix this complicated mess. He lamented that there are "100's and 100's" of these abandoned and degrading homes, dispersed "through-out the City".
He also said that the City Commission is looking for the City Management to suggest new laws that will be effective. Until then, the City is adverse to just swooping in, draining the pools, and mowing the grass, as the City wouldn't ever be paid for their efforts.
As far as Yurex is concerned, he could care less if the city collects or not. He doesn't feel the City should let these dangerous and rotten conditions exist. In a letter today to the Mayor and City Commission, he rather forcefully states that he is tired of the City's excuse. "Since my letter of two weeks ago, the weeds are two weeks taller, the pool and ponds have been the breeding ground for a million more mosquitoes, and my property values continue to drop".
When Code Manager Maloney was reached for a comment, he said the pools and ponds would be treated tomorrow.
Something should be done!
Ah, Task Force it is! That's the first thing incompetents do, create a task force. It buys time and spreads the blame for any bad decisions that might arise. Task Force decisions are like committee decisions; remember the adage, a camel is a horse designed by a committee.
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Yes Just take a drive south of 17st and east of Federal Highway. Many examples of the Real estate Boom go Bust, Code has several open cases of disrepair, Roofs and a Construction site that look a mess . I say step it up and arrest these property owners that can be located because some of these sites are Public Safety Issues, The construction sites that are not kept in a safe manner , they need to do something .The one in my area is a real problem .I am real worried because we could have a Hurricane warning at any time and then it is to late !!!!!
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I sympathize with those caught in the foreclosure dilemma, the neighbor, the neighborhood and the homeowner. Not everyone going through a foreclosure had dreams of getting rich. Lots of would be millionaires just packed up the dishes and flew the coop. Let’s be fair, many families are caught up in a combination of problems including:
Unemployment, their companies have shut the door.
Construction workers with no construction jobs.
Lost hours at the job they still have resulting in less income.
Property taxes way too high
Homeowners insurance out of control and they are asking for a 47.1% raise in rates
Retirees caught by fixed incomes and escalating costs
Families caught up in rising costs of everything and diminishing income.
Restaurants are closing because people who use to pay with debt cards, were then paying with credit cards, and now they can not pay the card, so restaurant help is let go.
You also have rental owners who tenants can not pay the same amount of rent any longer because of the above mentioned reasons. They have had to drop their rents, in some cases they can not meet their obligations, mtg., insurance, property taxes.
You also have the developer who has filed for protection or foreclosure because he can not sell those units that were not yet started, are in the process of being built, are built and sitting empty.
Whose fault is it? Well there is enough blame to go around. Code can bust balls, but that will not likely to fix much because this is not just a simple problem this time. People don’t just walk from their investment in most cases, they are being forced out by reasons mentioned above that are beyond their control.
Older retired people on fixed incomes who can not afford the rising costs are being foreclosed on. One such family put their house up for sale more than 3 years ago. The realtor told them they had to put in a new kitchen with stainless steel appliances for the lovely waterfront home to sell. They did, it did not sell and they are now in foreclosure. The husband is disabled, and now the elderly wife has become ill. She is in tears because she does not know what to do. Taxes and insurance coupled by the bad kitchen advice did this couple in.
This is just one case, it is not just your neighborhood, it is everybody’s neighborhood and every condo building. Your neighbor is not doing this to you, in many cases they have lost everything such as the couple I just told you about.
Why have the banks refused to renegotiate loans to stop foreclosures? You do realize that these foreclosures are going to cause banks to fail? As many as 150 - 400 banks are expected to fail. 150 of those in the next 14-24 months.
Is your money FDIC insured? Do you really know what that means? Better read the fine print, it means they can take up to 99 years to pay you back. I don’t know about you, but I don’t have 99 years to get my money back.
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Part 2
Your elected officials have spent your money like the gravy train was never going to end. I think we should give Gretsas another pay raise, don’t you? And while we are at it, let’s hire some more people from White Plains and pay them the big dollars. Fire this inept City Manager before he can do any more damage!!!
The City of Fort Lauderdale has been irresponsible managing your money for a very long time. It was not Floyd Johnson’s fault we went broke, it was your Mayor and Commissioners fault. They demanded he play the shell game with your money and then they hung him out to dry. It is also your fault in some respect, you failed to hold your elected officials responsible for their decisions. They were directing Floyd to rob Peter to pay Paul. This is fact, some of you know this to be true, Tim knows it.
So here we are today, with foreclosure problems that have only just begun. Yes, just begun with no end in site. It will get far worse. More is yet to come. Your City can not help you much. As a neighborhood, you may want to consider Community Projects to clean up the problems until solutions can be found.
Foreclosed properties have mortgage liens on them. The City can not and will not foreclose unless there is something in it for them. It will cost them money and in the end the bank will get the property, the city will not even get costs. Why? Because this is how it works and these properties have mortgages on them that are more than their currant value.
If you are wondering who to fire, think Gretsas and his whole team of cronies, and send Harry Stewart packing also. You have elections coming up and it is time to ask the tough questions and look for real solutions in their answers. I don’t see any magic wands here (Federal, State or Local), get ready for tough times. Pockets are empty, banks are failing and the fat cats are still fat.
You need to get lean and mean. Solve your own problems and stop looking to your government to do it for you. The truth is that they gave you the problems that you have (from the Feds on down) and you can not afford their wasteful spending to solve your neighborhood problems.
Organize your block, mow those lawns, and empty those pools with a sump pump, now chlorinate them. Or sit there and take it. It is not going to get any better for many years.
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This is a problem all across the country. The good people who paid their bills and kept up their properties are becoming the collateral damage of the foreclosures caused by the greedy and/or irresponsible people responsible for the mortgage crisis.
Bill Moyers had an excellent story about this on Friday. It was about a neighborhood in Cleveland which has perhaps the highest foreclosure rate in the country. The blight of dilapidated homes just sweeps through, and it's too big for the city or anyone else to stop.
You can watch the Cleveland story here: http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/07182008/profile.html
Caution: It brings no hope.
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So ask yourself this...
Maybe Tim or others on here need to ask all these Mayoral candidates (Earl, Cindi, Dean and Rossi) that seem to only want to talk about gay issues when they may want to discuss issues that effect everyone. I have seen Mr. Seiler speak in public and always wants to discuss issues that are of issue to ALL city residents.
Do you think Mr. Yurex and the many people in this city in similar situations care about Naugle and his dumb comments, NO or if they do care they are a high on the list of problems they have with the city? It is obvious that all the Mayoral candidates other than Seiler are afraid to debate real issues with Seiler and can only focus on a limited issue which only effects a limited segment of our community.
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But its forEclosure, not forclosure.
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The city codes are adequate to address all of the instances of property neglet that you note, but that has not been a priority of the staff. Instead of using code officer resources to take the signs advertising the Vic Park house tours down and collecting signs from small businesses like a coffee shop with a sandwich sign on private property and sending the $200 investment to trash, the code department should be directed by the city manager to focus on the housing issues and FOLLOW THEM TO COMPLETION.
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First off I must say I dont mind code enforcement on the hot seat. Maybe its a little Karma coming back to bite them.
They effectively put a dread on every homeowner who has had to deal with them. Many years ago code enforcement was a bridge between the homeowner and the city. As of the last few years they seem to have developed into their own pious entity that took the play out of the pup when dealing with them. So let me get this straight, the city has overbuilt, we have hundreds of properties that are sitting there. Code Enforcement has already been paid for those idle buildings, let code enforcement do their jobs and dont come to me a homeowner, getting up every morning just trying to keep me and mine intact for more money or more employees to handle this stuff.Maybe code enforcement can cut out the three hour lunch's and grab a weed-eater. I'll do my part on my block, but I'll be damned if I am giving more of my blood to the city..
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I figured this was the best place as any to voice my place in this time. I am watching business's crumple...you cant look at that and dont think its not going to effect this zip code even though the code is overall recession proof. There are about three cities in the United States who always maintain their recession proof status. Ft. Lauderdale should be one of them. Which pains me to say we are part and parcel of Broward County. Broward is getting beat up fast and furious on a myriad of issues right now. If we as citizens of Ft. Lauderdale want to secure a very desirable recession proof status, we need to start dialogging....
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