In my town there is an absentee owner who hasn't mowed his lawn yet this year, and his two-and-a-half foot high weeds sit next to a beautifully maintained house that is up for sale.
In Corpus Christi, Texas, there are a large number of building and lots owned by absentee land lords and land speculators that are poorly if ever maintained. There is one lot along the bay front owned by foreign investors including Imelda Marcos that was so over grown that it had large huisache and mesquite trees growing on it. The City of Corpus Christi threatened to fine them and charge them for cleaning up the lot unless the owners cleaned it up.
I'm all in favor of requiring property owners to maintain their property. Poorly maintained and boarded up properties decrease the value of neighboring property. Absentee owners who don't maintain their properties are infringing on the rights and property of the people who actually live nearby.
Most cities have ordancies that require a certain degree of upkeep. I know that some will mow the lot and charge you and if you don’t pay it goes on your property tax bill with interest..... Run down property takes some effort to get demolished but most cities provide for that also.
I understand a fine for poor upkeep that draws vermin and health problems too the community yet .........jail ? Nope I do not agree with jail ! Compound the fines unpaid if the owner openly defies the law and the notices and then have a sheriff sale if need be but not jail.
I couldn’t agree more. As an absentee owner of a property in Rockport, I make it my business to police certain absentee slumlords there.
One renter next to us had a dog that dug up the underground pipes! I took pictures of it and sent them the pictures. I said, ‘just because you rent to everyone and their dog is no reason we should have to look at this.’
They have since improved their screening of tenants. After having a bad one ourselves, we’ve got a new property manager. I think property mgmt. should be mandatory for nonlocally owned property. How else can a complaint get immediate attention?