Foreclosed homes pose hurricane risk

Picking up the "left behinds" around an abandoned home can get little crowded.

Sam Grey is rehabbing a handful of foreclosed homes that he recently bought, but he knows he has to clear out all the furniture otherwise it could become dangerous debris in a major storm.

"I've got a trailer full of people's trash TV's, chairs, broken tables, whatever they can't use or sell, they just leave for someone else's problem," Grey said.

In fact the Florida Division of Emergency Management realizes unoccupied homes would be defenseless in a hurricane.

With a record number of foreclosed homes in the state, it is not clear who would be accountable for preparing an empty home for a major storm, from clearing debris from yards to boarding up windows.

Alex Sanchez is with the Florida Bankers Association and says it depends on who is the legal owner of the home. If the lender or bank has the title then they have to take responsibility to secure it.

"That's our collateral so we have all the interest in the world as a title owner at that point and time to protect collateral so we'll do whatever we need to do to protect the collateral," Sanchez said.

Currently, there is no state law that mandates one particular party bare the responsibility for securing a foreclosed home, but Sam Grey isn't waiting for someone else to do it. There are two abandoned homes on his street, but you'd never know it.

"I take the time to mow the grass so it helps the neighborhood look better and doesn't look as blighted," Grey said.