Side Lot Program in the City of Decatur

MCSV attended the CONO Side Lot meeting attended by Wendy Morthland, Corporation Counsel for the City of Decatur. The Side Lot Program is an exmple of a good policy idea for a community. The general idea is that if you are a homeowner in Decatur that is interested in acquiring an abondoned adjacent lot, there may be ways that the city could help you get it at low cost.

Disclaimer - these comments are from our notes and should not be relied upon other than to provide preliminary information. Please contact the appropriate parties for accurate information. MCSV does not warrant this information or provide legal advice. You may want to discuss with your attorney or other official parties familiar with these programs and activities.

Abondoned lots refer to lots (including lots that result from demolition of abondoned homes) that are not cared for and taxes are not paid for in several years. Eventually, the city or county may foreclose on these for back taxes or other costs incurred in the care of the lots (care may refer to demolition, mowing, trash removal or unpaid debts.)

There are four ways to acquire an adjacent lot:

1. Buy it from the current owner (be careful of back taxes or other claims against the property),
2. Buy it in a foreclosure - sheriff's sale
3. Buy it from the County through a tax sale or from the County Trustee
4. Buy it with assistance of the City of Decatur under the side lot program.

The City may be in a position to assist you if you know that a lot is abandoned and may be sold for taxes or otherwise.

If you live next to a lot that you would like to acquire, please contact CONO or Wendy Morthland at the City. Phone: (217) 424-2807  Email:  wmorthland@decaturnet.org

Certain Caveats:

• The City may not be able to help property owners acquire adjacent properties if there is an adverse record of city code violations on your property.
• The process of acquiring a property through the side lot program can take some time, although it may be quicker than waiting for the 3 year period to elapse in a tax sale.
• If other parties are willing to pay a premium for a lot adjacent to your property, you may have to bid against them or compete to acquire the property.
• The side lot program is open to all property owners whether they use the property as a rental or primary residence.
• For the City to assist in acquiring the property, there may need to be an action for deficiencies (i.e. mowing, demolition, etc.)
• Property owners that want to assist in maintaining an abondoned lot, should contact the city (Wendy Morthland) before doing so without compensation.

If Macon County Shared Vision can assist you in gathering more information, please email us at mcsharedvision@sbcglobal.com.

Orignal announcement of CONO meeting follows:

This information was provided by Sue Barnhart regarding the upcoming CONO meeting:

Wendy Morthland, The City Corporation Counsel has graciously agreed to attend the CONO meeting next Tuesday, July 24,2007 at 7:00 pm in Decatur Public library. Wendy Morthland plans on explaining the current sidelot program and answering questions. She is also interested in discovering what is working or not working with the current program. Placing vacant property in the hands of caring investors is the goal of this program.

If you are aware of neighbors who were interested in purchasing any of these lots please invite and encougage them to attend this meeting. There are residents who were attempting to purchase some of the very lots that were sold and sprayed by this uncaring entity that has purchased them. Some of these citizens were mowing and maintaining these lots.  They were told they had to wait for the auction and then it was sold right out from
under them. 

It is up to us to help make sure this kind of thing never happens again.

For more informatio, please email us and we will put you in touch with Sue Barnhart.

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