Land Banks May Soon Claim Blighted Properties

In the fight against blight, neglectful property owners may soon feel more pressure to clean up their act – or else lose control to a land bank. House Bill 1163, now awaiting action in the Senate, would let municipalities take a “use it or lose it” approach to blight. Once a locality declares a property blighted or abandoned, it could then be deemed liable to be acquired by a land bank.