House Bill 866, with a nebulous short title, Community Development Target Areas actually gives cities the authority to tear down private homes they think are unsafe. A city inspector would decide. If the home appeared to be vacant or abandoned and if the inspector thinks the home would ?cause or contribute to blight, disease, vagrancy, fire or safety hazard, to be a danger to children, or to tend to attract persons intent on criminal activities or other activities that would constitute a public nuisance? he or she could order that the house be torn down. They would have to post a notice on the home and within ten days the homeowner could plead their case to, guess who? The inspector. The inspector would then decide whether to tear the home down ?as appears appropriate.?
The city then could tear the home down, sell any redeemable materials and charge the demolition costs to the property owner through a lien on the then empty lot.
The bill passed the House 109-2 in May and is now working its way through the Senate with a hearing yesterday in the State and Local Government Committee and a vote expected on the floor today.
