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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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State
Rep. Thomas Petrone |
  
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Petrone: abandoned and blighted property bill approved by Urban Affairs Committee
HARRISBURG, May 6 – State Rep. Thomas Petrone, D-Allegheny, chairman of the House Urban Affairs Committee, said today that the committee has approved a bill to give municipalities and others more power to get blighted and abandoned properties cleaned up.
The legislation (H.B. 2188), introduced by Rep. Don Walko, D-Allegheny, would provide a way for municipalities, lien holders or other interested parties to petition the courts to have conservators appointed to take control of and rehabilitate blighted or abandoned properties.
Petrone said the legislation could stimulate development in cities and smaller communities across the state, and could have a substantial economic impact in Pittsburgh.
"Abandoned buildings are not only eyesores -- they can also be hazardous to public health and safety, magnets for crime and detriments to growth and economic development," Petrone said. There are more than 19,000 blighted buildings in Pittsburgh. If these properties continue to deteriorate, they will cost taxpayers even more."
Under the bill, interested parties such as lien holders, residents or business owners within 500 feet of an abandoned building, nonprofits, or municipalities and school districts could petition the court of common pleas to appoint a conservator to take control of a building that has not been legally occupied for the past 12 months, has not been actively marketed for sale for 60 months, and is blighted or represents a public nuisance. The conservator would act in place of the building’s owner to make necessary repairs, and could sell the building if the owner does not petition to regain possession or reimburse for all costs.
The bill would require court-appointed conservators to preserve the character of buildings that have been designated as historic. Conservators would be exempt from the repayment of debts incurred by the previous owner or any damage to the property that existed prior to their appointment as conservator.
The legislation would not apply to building owners who are members of the military and have been called to active duty or training.
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