Photo Dianna Hill
According to the Plain Dealer, city leaders and community development gurus believe demolition is the key to improving neighborhoods in Cuyahoga County and are requesting additional federal funds to complete their mission of demolishing everything in sight. http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2013/02/what_to_do_with_vacant_homes_i.html [2]
Historical homes that can never be replicated are torn to shreds despite the efforts of more sensible leaders to save these homes.
The leaders pushing for the additional funds believe that vacant homes contribute to the domino effect of foreclosures.
The conditions for possibly receiving additional federal funds for demolition purposes is to prove empirically that razing vacant structures reduces the number of foreclosures in surrounding areas. If this can be proven, the federal government will consider offering more money for demolition. Otherwise, the demolition money will run out at the end of 2013.
I don't think those pushing for additional funds will be able to prove that demolition reduces foreclosures.
In fact, my research shows an extremely high record of foreclosures relative to the delinquent property tax lien sale that these same officials that are pushing for additional funds have caused. The record number of property tax foreclosures were filed during the same period of record demolition in Cuyahoga County.
In November 2011, Cuyahoga County sold delinquent property tax liens to Woods Cove, LLC. The one year time period for home owners to redeem the liens has run out. In 2012, Woods Cove filed 209 property tax foreclosures. In 2013, Woods Cove has filed an additional 246 foreclosures with many more to be filed.
In 2011, Aeon Fincancial was named as a plaintiff for 864 civil cases- almost all foreclosures. In 2012, Aeon was named as a plaintiff in 198 civil cases and most were foreclosures.
Since 2011, approximately 1527 foreclosures were filed in Cuyahoga County relative to the delinquent property tax lien process alone.
Plymouth Park Tax Services, another scam predatory collector, was the purchaser of delinquent property tax liens in Cuyahoga County from 2004 thru 2008. During this time period, Plymouth Park Tax Services was named plaintiff in 2212 civil cases filed in Cuyahoga County. Most of the court filings were for delinquent property tax foreclosures.
From 2004 thru 2013 , approximately 3,739 delinquent property tax foreclosures were filed in Cuyahoga County.
Cuyahoga County property owners were sold out to predatory tax collectors. The sell out to the predators has greatly contributed to the foreclosure crisis in Cuyahoga County as property owners are unable to fight off these thieves and are losing their properties in record numbers.
This is the direct result of the same officials that are now requesting additional federal funding. They sold out the people of Cuyahoga County and intend to do so again in May 2013.
The predatory tax collectors 'donated' some of their property to the county's land bank for demolition purposes only. Probably one of the reasons we are running out of money to demolish homes that really need demolition is because tax payers are footing the bill for the predators.
And the predatory tax collectors are leaving behind unsecured, vacant and vandalized property after they force out long time property owners over a couple thousand dollars.
These victims did not want to lose their property- many owned for decades and some mortgage free. These foreclosures had nothing to do with any 'domino effect'.
The property owners were sold out to predatory tax collectors who fail to pay their own property taxes and maintain their own property, and leave behind vacant and vandalized homes. The same 'risky, out-of-state investors' that the county land bank is attempting to protect us from are the same out of state predatory tax collectors that our great protectors dragged into this county.
The predators are charging excessive fees, taking large sums of money from the victims, and then still kicking them to the curb:
The former homeowner now resides in a homeless shelter.
The victim leaving his home owned for nearly fifty years- for the last time.
MORE SCAMS FROM THE PREDATORS:
The Wiggins family owned their property located at 17214 Lotus in Cleveland, Ohio since as far back as county fiscal office records go - January 1, 1975.
They lost their property via delinquent property tax foreclosure to CapitalSource fbo Aeon Financial Services.
In order to save the family's property owned for decades, the Wiggins family entered into a land contract with Aeon.
The terms are $18,500 for the return of the their family home owned for decades. $8,000 down payment ( which is more than the Wiggins family liens owed to Aeon) and the $10,500 balance due in monthly installments with 8% interest.
The Macon family owned their property located at 17116 Judson Drive since February 25, 1994.
They lost their property via delinquent property tax foreclosure to CapitalSource fbo Aeon Financial Services.
In order to save the family's property owned for 19 years, the Macon family entered into a land contract with Aeon.
The terms are $10,800 for the return of the their family home owned for 19 years. $5,259 down payment ( which is more than the Macon family liens owed to Aeon) and the $5,541 balance due in monthly installments with 8% interest.
Although the recorded land contract would not mention any such fees, I am curious to know the attorney fees involved with the land contracts, filing fees, land contract prepartion fees, etc...
Below is the aftermath of the officials decision -actual photos of the property left behind- mostly on the east side, minority concentrated areas.
I call this the 'domino effect' :
Links:
[1] http://realneo.us/content/superior-demolition-and-excavatinganother-baumann-enterprise-cancelled-2007
[2] http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2013/02/what_to_do_with_vacant_homes_i.html
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[8] http://realneo.us/content/plymouth-park-tax-services-aka-xspand-cuyahoga-county-victims-corruption-deserve-justice
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