Overgrown Lawns. Vandalism. West Nile Virus.

Foreclosures and short sales inevitably take their toll on surrounding homes, but the worst part is the eyestrain they cause their community.  As homes are left vacant by their lenders, they often become the a home for transients, vandalism, and theft. So what’s a homeowner to do?

Here in California, residents of San Jose are encouraged to fight back the negligence of these lenders.  Michael Hannon, the deputy director for code enforcement, says lenders can be fined up to $1,000 for multiple violations and can also be responsible for paying city contractors to maintain such properties.  In addition, the recent bill passed by Congress has allocated local governments money to help the spreading problems of the foreclosure crisis. In California, allocations were already announced last weekend and cities will now have about 30 days to submit their plans to HUD.

What Can You Do?

If you have a foreclosed home in your neighborhood that you feel is an eye sore, the best thing you can do right now is contact your city’s Code Enforcement Division. A quick Google Search of “[Insert Your City] California Code Enforcement” should bring a list of relevant sites with phone numbers you can contact.

Code Enforcement Officers typically address violations such as illegal signage, fencing and border limitations, and general property nuisance. By contacting these authorities, lenders will be held more responsible and hopefully cure some of these neglected properties.

Because of the high number of foreclosures in California, it may be hard to hold all these lenders responsible. But as homeowners, it certainly won’t hurt to get on their case by calling your city’s code enforcement. It won’t cure the housing crisis and it won’t stop dropping values, but it will certainly help relieve some of the eyesores we are all suffering from.

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