In this week’s print edition, out this morning (hint, hint), Bianca Phillips, Hannah Sayle, and I take on the collateral damage of the foreclosure crisis — Memphis neighborhoods — and what’s being done to combat blight and deterioration.
Of course, not all of Memphis’ blighted properties are foreclosures. Many are investment properties long ignored by their owners and in need of some serious upkeep.
What I find the most alarming is the scale of Memphis’ blight. In discussing this story with friends and colleagues, most people I talked to said something like, I have a house like that on my block. Or around the corner. Or in my neighborhood.
The story focuses on several people’s attempts to fight blight: Attorney Steve Barlow’s efforts to sue owners of dilapidated property under the Tennessee Neighborhood Preservation Act; Brad Watkins’ “Blightwatch” videos on YouTube and his confrontation of Wells Fargo’s over back taxes they owe to the city and the county; and Tommy Wilson and his bomb the blight art project.
One of the things people have been very interested in — especially given how many of them have said they have blighted property near them — are the lawsuits.
I should note that you can’t just sue your next door neighbor for having a junky house. But if the property is vacant or renter-occupied and doesn’t meet code, then you could sue for the loss in value to your property or to force the property owners to fix whatever problem exists.
