Nuisance Properties
A Word About Building Code and Nuisance Abatement
Building Code and Nuisance Abatement are procedures used by local governments to protect individuals and property from health and safety hazards that could cause injury, loss of life, or damage. These regulations are designed to help protect all of the individuals in the community including property owners. They address: 1. Health, 2. Fire protection, 3. Structural safety and hazards, and 4. Maintenance. When used as guidelines for individual property owners, they frequently can increase the value of the property.
When property or property conditions do not meet code requirements, a written notice/order is sent to the owner, and is also posted at the property. The notice/order states the problem, and also states a time limit for the correction of the problem. The notice/order remains against the property until corrected by the person cited.
Reporting Violations
For complaints concerning:
Housing- deteriorated or poorly maintained property/painting
Visual nuisances, eyesores in your neighborhood
Zoning issues: junkyards; illegally parked autos on private property; fences
Unfit interior human living conditions
Rooming houses: check for permits and sanitary conditions
Board-up of open buildings
High grass/weeds on private property in your neighborhood
To report violations and request city services/issues contact ENGAGE TOLEDO, a 24/7 customer service provider for all city service requests and issues.
Engage Toledo
For issues that require immediate attention, such as a water or sewer emergency, or anything pertaining to public safety, call: 419-936-2020.
Call 911 for police/fire assistance, crimes in progress or life-threatening emergencies.
Engage with the online portal
Engage with your mobile device
Engage Toledo can also receive issues reported through an app for your iOS or Android device.
Engage by email
Email ENGAGE TOLEDO 24/7 at engagetoledo@toledo.oh.gov
Placard Program
You may have spotted this bright orange sign on a property while driving through the city streets. Since the Toledo Municipal Housing Court initiated its placard program in December of 2009, over 500 properties have bore this placard which states:
Notice
This property is scheduled for city demolition. Trespassers found on this property may be prosecuted under T.M.C. 541.05. This property should be kept free of debris and litter at all times. If you find conditions that violate these terms, please contact the Toledo Municipal Housing Court at 419-245-3131 or the Department of Neighborhoods at 419-936-2020.
Judge Joseph J. Howe
Toledo Municipal Court
Housing Division
In the aftermath of the 2007-2008 housing crisis, many individuals who were cited into court owned property that was beyond repair for numerous reasons: there may be a sizable lien on the property from an incomplete mortgage foreclosure rendering it unmarketable; the cost of repairs by far exceed the end market value; the vacant zombie property has been stripped and vandalized; or a fire may have damaged the uninsured property.
Many property owners cannot afford to hire a private demolition contractor and place their property on the city demolition list as a last resort. The Housing Judge cautions the property owners that they have the on-going responsibility to keep the property clean and secure while awaiting demolition and that the demolition may occur later rather than sooner. A placard is then placed on the property to provide the community with contact information to report violators.
Zombie Properties
The term “zombie properties” is used to describe residential homes that are neither alive nor dead, but caught in the limbo of an incomplete foreclosure. In these cases, when the mortgage company initiated foreclosure, the homeowners walked away believing the property was no longer theirs. Meanwhile, the mortgage company determines that the property has a low value and abandons the foreclosure, often without notifying the owner.
As the foreclosure proceeding was abandoned, the mortgage lien remains and the title to the property remains with the owner. In Toledo Municipal Housing Court we frequently see owners cited for zombie properties that they were not aware they still owned until they received a public nuisance citation. Oftentimes years have gone by since they occupied the property and the vacant home has fallen into decay, and in many cases, stripped.
The owner is then posed with the question of how to abate the nuisance that their home has become. The remaining mortgage lien typically far exceeds the market value of the property, making repairs or selling the property improbable. In many cases demolition is the end result.
The zombie properties emerged from the housing crisis of 2007-2008 and have menaced neighborhoods and strained city resources in cleaning and securing the vacant homes. If you suspect you may own a zombie property:
Check the ownership records by your name or address on the Lucas County Auditor’s records on-line at: co.lucas.oh.us
You may also check the status of a foreclosure filing off the above web address, selecting the “Government” tab, then “Common Pleas Court,” then “Case Information.”
Access to sheriff sale information may also be found on this website, again first selecting “Government,” then “Sheriff,” “Civil Section,” “Sheriff Sale,” then finally “Sheriff Sale Detail and Results.”
Be aware that if the title to a property is in your name, you are responsible for the maintenance of the property until such time as the deed is transferred to someone else.
