Neighbors tired of picking up after foreclosed homes

Florida is among top 4 states in nation for foreclosures

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – According to recent data, foreclosed homes are at their lowest levels since before the economic crisis of 2008.

But Florida is still among the top four states for high numbers of foreclosures.

For those who live next door to a foreclosed or abandoned home, it can be a long, often-futile journey to convince the proper authorities to maintain the home.

Oftentimes, those tasks fall on neighbors, like Dana Perry, who has lived next to an abandoned home in Queens Harbour Yacht and Country Club for over six years.

The man who lived in the home went to prison in 2009. Since then, Perry and another neighbor have paid out of their own pockets to keep the house maintained.

“We've expended, both of us, money into trimming trees, cutting back bushes, power washing the home," Perry said. "More than a thousand dollars, easily (in the last six years)."

The home is assessed by the Duval County property appraiser's office at over $900,000.

When News4Jax was there in December, the house was unlocked, and our crew was able to gain access to a pool covered with a sagging tarp. Both the city and the Queens Harbour Property Owner's Association had knowledge of the home's deteriorating state for some time.

Across town, near Boulevard and the Martin Luther King Expressway, Beverly Clark has the same problem in her neighborhood, where there are several abandoned homes, some of which have been taken over by drug users and prostitutes, according to Clark.

"This may not be your Springfield, this may not be Riverside, but this is home for people. And people want to be good neighbors. We want to let our children be able to walk down the street," Clark said.

Many homes in Clark's neighborhood are condemned and awaiting demolition.

A law passed last year in Duval County is expediting the process, but Clark said that until the homes come down, their presence brings down the spirit of the neighborhood.

ONLINE: Duval County property appraiser | Duval County clerk of courts

"It becomes very disruptive,” she said. “And your neighbors have to watch out for things that are not theirs. and there's nothing you can do about it except for continuously complain.”

UNF Economics professor Dr. Paul Mason studies the real estate market and said the continued backlog of foreclosed homes can be explained by the banks waiting out for higher property valuations, or by their willingness to process only a certain number of foreclosures in a month.

He advised people who live next to an abandoned or foreclosed home to get involved.

"I would take it to heart and try to work privately to motivate the bank to make it available for sale, and if they have made it available for sale, see if you can find a buyer," Mason said.

Homeowners can also call their city code enforcement office to file a complaint. If it's unclear who owns the house, homeowners can find that information on the property appraiser's website.

Once the owner is known, neighbors can visit the county clerk's website and type in the homeowner's name to find out if the house is in foreclosure. If it is, they can find out which bank is filing foreclosure and may be able to contact them.

But as Perry and Clark can attest, it can be a lengthy and frustrating process.