Highland County land lender board meets with possible consumer hears update on Rocky Fork Truck Halt, Hillsboro qualities

In their first assembly because November, users of the Highland County Land Reutilization Corporation heard a proposal Jan. 21 for advertising some of their houses near Rocky Fork Lake, while strategies for a different proposed acquisition in the region were explained as “stuck” for now.

As earlier documented, Highland County Neighborhood Action Organization Housing Director Mark Latest instructed the land bank board in November that two parcels on Cinderella Push failed to get any bids. The board produced a movement for Present-day to do a “blast” marketing the house to space Realtors.

Latest reported Thursday that no region Realtors have demonstrated curiosity however, but the land lender could go after an chance with the Highland County Board of DD.

Larry Grey of the Highland County Board of DD, who attended the assembly, mentioned that they could possibly be fascinated in these parcels and possibly other properties currently being pursued by the land bank.

“There is some income coming down, money accessible at the condition level,” Existing mentioned. “Larry has secured some of that money for Highland County. There is a group, Highland Housing, that like Highland County Local community Motion, they have homes — I think about 10 properties proper now — and they hire to individuals with developmental disabilities.”

Existing explained the board could be fascinated in making “a new property, probably 3 bedrooms or so, on that lot.”

“It may possibly be an alternative to enable both the land financial institution and DD as nicely,” Latest said.

Gray advised the board that he is doing work to protected properties in equally Highland and Fayette counties and that they have to have to “move fast.”

“We nevertheless have a want for homes in this local community for a lot of distinct people we serve,” Grey claimed.

Present-day also resolved the concern of a prospective conflict of interest.

“With Local community Motion administering the land financial institution and then also purchasing property from the land lender, that doesn’t appear rather suitable,” Existing reported. “Even while we handle Highland Housing homes, their houses remaining to the Highland Housing board. I imagine it would be a diverse condition.”

Board member Terry Britton reported he thought “it could be a excellent partnership, if we can do it lawfully.” Fellow board member Jeff Duncan invited Grey to “keep the channels open up in this article and see if we can’t get a thing labored out.”

• • •

In a further update, Existing reported that he had “high hopes” for the Rocky Fork Truck Stop assets right up until Tuesday of this week, but now, he mentioned, they are “stuck” until even more notice.

As beforehand claimed, the HCLRC read a proposal for attaining and cleansing up the former Rocky Fork Truck Halt locale by means of a point out grant method at their Thursday, July 23 conference.

At that conference, Present-day explained the property, located at 12410 U.S. 50, had $10,578.51 in back taxes owed. Matthew Wagner of Tetra Tech spoke to the land lender board in July about the Abandoned Gas Station Cleanup Grant, which he reported they could pursue if the land lender obtained the assets.

Nevertheless, Latest advised the board in September that the Rocky Fork Truck End house owners are now up-to-date on their taxes, so the county will not be foreclosing on the property.

“I spoke with Rockhold Bank, who retains the mortgage on that residence,” Existing claimed. “They told me that the primary home loan there, which I understood was $450,000, has been paid out down some, but they would not explain to me how a lot.”

Recent reported the lender indicated the landowner is hoping to sell the property, but the financial institution gave a message to the landowner, who then contacted Present-day. Recent said the landowner has two “interested” potential potential buyers searching at the residence but would enable him know if that falls via.

Current spelled out to the landowner the opportunity environmental concerns “with the tanks in the ground” that will need cleaned and that the grant could protect that charge, but only if the land bank acquires the property.

Latest mentioned that Wagner verified the condition Development Services Agency “would not shell out for the removing of the tanks” if the property would drop back again into the previous landowner’s possession, both by a transfer from the land bank or by promoting it.

“It’s type of caught right now,” Current reported. “We’ll maintain an eye on it and see what takes place.”

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On Oct. 15, the board reviewed a checklist of eight probable attributes for acquisition submitted by the town of Hillsboro, a single of which (540 Johnson St.) was later on eliminated as metropolis code enforcement officer Lauren Walker explained she would be using authorized action on the residence.

For the remaining houses, Current advised the board that two contractors have checked out the parcels, and there was “real interest in a person of the houses and somewhat, I guess, questionable fascination in two other folks.”

A residence at 256 East Walnut Street has “major potential” and curiosity from both contractors. Even so, board member Karen Bridges pointed out that the land financial institution just cannot just take action on it at this time, as taxes have been paid for the 1st fifty percent of 2019.

“We would not be equipped to do anything at all,” she explained. “It’s not qualified delinquent. It is got to be certified delinquent for two decades.”

In addition, contractors believed that 622 South East Avenue and 305 East South Street could quite possibly be rehabilitated, but have been doubtful owing to currently being not able to access the inside of the households. Other qualities on the list would require them “to set additional money into it then you’d ever get out of it, so they’d be demo-type conditions,” Present said.

Board member Charles Guarino advised that if the remaining Hillsboro houses are obtained, the land bank could place them in a joint bid packet to demolish the present constructions.

“We genuinely really do not have a good handle on finding ahold of these houses still,” Britton mentioned. “We may possibly be spinning our wheels a very little little bit.”

Guarino asked if any of the attributes had been eligible for foreclosure, since attempts have been manufactured in latest months to call home owners or their relatives.

“All these properties ended up tax-delinquent,” Walker reported. “I didn’t know if they had been in the foreclosure system or not. If they have violations in opposition to them for any sort of standard construction, I am ready to go that route, but if it is only grass nuisance, I won’t be able to seriously choose that to court docket to take ownership of these qualities. If they’re genuinely falling down, like 540 Johnson Road, that’s a person that’s going to be filed with the court docket, and we’re ready to demo it and solicit bids and all that.”

Guarino asked if the metropolis could pursue demolition on the other qualities that contractors encouraged requires to appear down. Walker explained they could, “if [the homes] have structural issues.”

“What do you assume the city wants to do?” Guarino requested.

“If there ended up tax-delinquent ones that were being foreclosed on, then I truly feel like we should really hold off,” Walker said. “If they are not currently being foreclosed on, I can progress.”

Bridges claimed 235 Willow Street is the only home on the listing in the foreclosure process.

“If you want to hold off, I can commence on our conclude,” Walker stated. “We want to shift on it, much too. It is ki
nd of embarrassing that these homes have been sitting down there that lengthy.”

Guarino explained “it appears like it would be quicker” for the town to aim on the properties. Existing asked if the metropolis was ready to take out the taxes.

“I’m not crystal clear on that,” Walker explained. “Everything that I have go through, like with our CIC, that was one particular of my thoughts. Do we continue to have to spend the assessments on the house? I was not 100-per cent distinct on that, and I in fact just emailed Fred [Beery, city law director] this morning, asking that concern.”

Nonetheless, Walker stated that “the metropolis can’t purchase the land,” so it would possible have to go by way of a land bank at some point. “The land bank can eliminate the taxes,” Existing explained.

“How would we get included immediately after they operate with the nuisance?” Guarino asked. “From a land financial institution standpoint, what do we need to do?”

Duncan explained he experienced the same problem on “how we could get them in our possession.”

“We would about have to do a title lookup on every single one particular of them,” Current explained. “If it has a mortgage on it, we technically cannot get it.”

Walker supplied to talk to Beery to see if they could do some of the title lookups and to explain regardless of whether the taxes would slide on the town or not, ahead of analyzing regardless of whether to take legal action or let the homes to go by way of foreclosures.

“We’ll table this and wait around to listen to from you or Fred,” Guarino explained.

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In other updates:

• According to Current, attorney Greg VanZant advised the board “might be losing [their] time” on makes an attempt to acquire a house on Cameron Travel in Greenfield, due to a number of liens staying placed on the property by means of the Ohio Department of Taxation.

Board member Randy Mustard questioned “if the prosecutor’s office environment could do just about anything to help” acquire the assets. “There’s obtained to be a way to go immediately after that,” he mentioned.

“I’ll locate out,” Present explained. “I took it that what Greg was speaking about is the Ohio Department of Taxation, the rationale they filed versus [the owner] is for his point out tax, not his home tax.

“Greg explained that follows the residence.”

Duncan explained that the land lender can only forgive property taxes, not revenue taxes. Guarino proposed speaking to other area land bank reps to see if they have dealt with identical issues.

• Present-day noted that a closing was held Nov. 23 for 6830 Heather Moor Trail, which was split into two parcels as “both the neighbors paid for these.”

• Present explained that the house owners of 11540 Dundee Push have not returned paperwork for a give up assert deed.

• Paperwork for two properties in Greenfield — a single on McClain Avenue and one on Carford Pike — owned by Fannie Mae are “practically done,” Recent claimed. Deeds have been drawn up for each homes, then the land financial institution can place them out for bid.

“We really don’t formally have them but, but in a subject days, we’ll have the documentation for these,” Existing said. “The land benefit, in accordance to the auditor’s web-site, is $4,300 every.”

Guarino requested how a scenario involving alleged squatters in the McClain Avenue property “is heading to get settled.”

“The men and women dwelling there have the utilities in their identify,” Current reported. “They’re spending their payments, so the village of Greenfield doesn’t want to — I signify, they are spending for electric powered. They’re not shelling out taxes. They were told by the previous owner they could stay there as extensive as they want to, so in their thoughts, they are not squatters.”

Bridges stated she could see if the home was certified delinquent.

“It would induce us to have to evict them, which I’m wonderful with, but I consider our policies say that we’ll get a vacant assets,” Latest stated. “Or we could alter our plan and course of action.”

• Properties on Heathermoor Trail and Cathy’s Court docket both have home loans on them, and Present-day claimed he “would have to contact these institutions” with the mortgages “to see if they will launch those two houses.”

“Once again, the qualities are sort of caught,” he mentioned. “It’s no gain to them to cling onto them and go away them as they are, so I’m hoping they will release these mortgages, and then we could just take them and cleanse them up and put them in someone else’s hands.”

• A house on Golden Doubloon Lane is a “fairly effortless process” to obtain, according to VanZant, if they can get in contact with the property owner. “That 1 sounds promising,” Current said.

• Duncan requested if Present had appeared into any other new attributes. Present reported that he recently looked at just one property that was “basically a gully and did not seem sellable at all.”

“I was not likely to advocate obtaining it,” he stated.

Bridges explained she’s also given Existing a list of houses to look at into.

• Fiscal officer Beth Allering described a lender account balance of $201,435.42 as of Dec. 31, 2020. At her request, the board voted 5- to authorize a ask for for signature/acceptance for payment to Highland County Group Motion Organization for administration costs for July by way of December ($3,900) and fiscal management for June as a result of December ($2,340), for a total of $6,240.