Banks to face fines for foreclosures

A new ordinance in Hillsborough County now makes it the bank's job to maintain foreclosed homes.

Hillsborough County Code Enforcement is handling close to 500 abandoned and foreclosed home that are now neglected and in disrepair.

They are nuisances and threats to neighborhood safety and property values.

So, Hillsborough County is now one of about 13 local governments in Florida to mandate some sort of responsibility for the homes.

"They're going to be responsible to register their vacant foreclosed property with Hillsborough County on a yearly basis with a contact individual an agent that has to be posted on the property," said code enforcement supervisor Bill Langford.

The banks would have to inspect properties monthly, maybe preventing situations like the one next door to Stephanie Romeo in Ruskin.

"It's kind of creepy because you hear noises people going in there at night. You just hope that they don't think this is abandoned and come into your house," Romeo said.

Langford says a foreclosed home around the corner from Romeo is an example of what the county hopes to accomplish with the ordinance. He says the mortgage lender secured the home and cleaned up the property, when code enforcement notified the bank about violations.

Langford says the bank stepped in before the home fell into total disrepair.

But, it's too late for another home in Gibsonton.

"We're actually going to be listing this one as condemnation for demolition because of the vandalism and everything," Langford said to Garfield Runyan, who says he'd rather see an empty lot.

Runyan says he wonders, though, whether the foreclosed property registry will be effective.

"It will be if they do what they say they're going to do, but do they ever?" Runyan said.

Lenders pay $100 to register with the county. A bank that fails to do so has 30 days to comply. After that, they could face fines of up to $1,000 a day.