Towns want notice of foreclosure
Be it overgrown grass, broken windows or worse, the first call frustrated neighbors make when an empty house becomes an eyesore is to city hall.
But by the time that notice is received, local officials say, the problem becomes compounded as they try to find the responsible party to clean up the mess.
That scenario has prompted at municipal organizations in Lake County and likely elsewhere to support a proposed change in state law regarding foreclosures.
"We don't have any interest in the actual property transaction, we just want to be notified," said Janet Agnoletti, executive director of the Barrington Area Council of Governments, a coalition of seven communities and two townships.
The group is looking for a legislative sponsor for its proposal and has had good reception from other entities, such as the Illinois and Lake County municipal leagues.
Communities are seeking the addition of a single sentence to a section of the Illinois Compiled Statutes dealing with foreclosure procedure.
Currently, according to Agnoletti, when a foreclosure occurs in a community the local government isn't notified by the lending institution that filed the proceedings.
Current law states, in part, that notice should be sent to "every person claiming an interest in or lien on the mortgaged real estate." The proposed change would require the local government clerk to be included on notice lists.
"We expect all over the metropolitan region that foreclosures will be increasing," Agnoletti said.
"We're trying to prevent the kinds of bad scenarios that can occur when local governments don't know the status of a (declining) property."
Supporters say the lack of notice comes with a cost including staff time spent tracking down owners, extra policing, or building inspections.
"We are going to support that foreclosure measure as well," said Christine Gentes, executive director of the Lake County Municipal League. "They need to know who is responsible for the vacant properties. If a house is foreclosed and it's vacant, the property deteriorates."
Like other municipal organizations, BACOG compiles legislative priorities for the coming year. The intent is to a find a General Assembly sponsor to introduce the idea as a bill during the January legislative session.
Agnoletti said she met with the Illinois Municipal League last week, and its legislative committee voted to support the platform. The McHenry County Council of Governments also is said to be on board.
"It's not so much that we have a problem," she said. " We're trying to look at this as a preventive measure."