| Funds on way to demolish homes |
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| Written by JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN Sentinel County Editor |
| Friday, 13 July 2012 10:32 |
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Wood County is in line to get at least $500,000 to tear down abandoned homes. The money comes from a court settlement against five of the nation's largest mortgage companies for foreclosure abuses, fraud, and unfair and deceptive mortgage practices. A total of $75 million in the "Moving Ohio Forward Grants" is being doled out statewide by the Ohio Attorney General's Office. The goal of the program is to demolish "vacant, abandoned and blighted properties that detract from existing home values and create a toxic breeding ground for crime." The money is being divided based on the number of foreclosures filed in each county between 2008 and 2011. That means Wood County is in line to get up to $604,424. "We're very optimistic we're going to get the money," Brad Espen, director of environmental services at the Wood County Health Department, reported Thursday evening to the board of health. The lead agency handling the house demolition program will be the Wood County Planning Commission, assisted by the health department. Dave Steiner, director of the county planning commission, reported to his board earlier this week that local municipal and township officials will be asked to submit lists of properties that might qualify for demolition. "Hopefully we can get some of these blighted structures cleaned up," Steiner said. Espen estimated that the county currently has up to 30 structures that should be demolished. The costs range from $8,000 and $10,000 to demolish a home and clean up the site, he said. The county can try to recoup some of those costs by placing liens on the properties. That money can then be put back into a fund to keep the demolition program going. Also at Thursday's health board meeting, the board approved the transfer of license from DK Enterprises Construction and Demolition Debris, on East Gypsy Lane Road in Bowling Green, to JEHM Enterprises in Archbold. The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency has already approved the transfer. |
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