State Takes Aim At Abandoned Properties

Back Taxes Bill Johnson The plan is to clean up blight in urban communities by cutting a deal with property owners.

by Diana Lucio

Published: Tue, June 02, 2009 - 5:06 pm CST Last Updated: Tue, June 02, 2009 - 5:23 pm CST

A new state law is taking aim at neighborhood eyesores.

It is called the Alabama Land Bank Authority. The law hopes to clean up blight in urban communities by allowing officials to clear back taxes and public liens on abandoned properties.
The goal is to revitalize neighborhoods to improve property values.
State officials say only property owners with more than 3 years of delinquent property taxes are eligible.

"If a property owner or one of the owners of the property will redevelop the property, that is borrow money against it to build on it to sell it or give it away within 2 years...the state will waive the taxes and the liens on it,"Said Bill Johnson with the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs.
"It will allow non profits to buy these properties and build affordable homes. It will allow us to bring in industry, allow us to have jobs, give jobs to people with these properties and the work that's going to have to be done as a result of you rehabilitating that piece of property,"Said Senator Vivian Figures.

Governor Riley is appointing members to the Alabama Land Bank Authority Board. The State hopes to have it fully assembled in the next two months.
You can view a copy of the act by clicking on the link to the side of this page.

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