Derelict houses targeted

Fort Lauderdale city commissioners today vote on a law that
will penalize property owners if they don’t maintain vacant properties to a
reasonable standard. Banks that own foreclosed properties would be liable to
the public nuisance statute, which comes in response to a daily addition of 10 to
15 properties going into foreclosure. If approved, the law would force owners
to respond more quickly to complaints, cutting appeal times to 14 days from 45 to 50 days for most complaints.