What to do about vacant home's looks?

Neighbors, from left, John Welsser, Rod Rodriguez and Ralph Bilbrey discuss their complaints related to a vacant house on Tejon Street in Lodi. (Whitney Ramirez/News-Sentinel)

What to do about vacant home's looks?

Lodi neighbor takes matter into his own hands — he mows lawn

By Ross Farrow
News-Sentinel Staff Writer

Thursday, September 27, 2007 6:57 AM PDT

Comments (71 comment(s))

Ralph Bilbrey had finally had enough.

Grass on his neighbor's lawn had grown several inches high, but there isn't a homeowner to mow it. Yet there is a "for sale" sign with the name of Prudential California Realty on the lawn.

The neighbor's Park West home is in foreclosure. Residents estimate that no one has lived at the Tejon Street residence for a year or more. And nobody is mowing the lawn.

Until Wednesday, that is.

Despite reportedly being told by a Prudential representatives to stay off the property, Bilbrey took his lawn mower, saw and pruning shears and did about three hours of work Wednesday morning.

Bilbrey and a neighbor, Rob Rodriguez, have brought the matter to the attention of Lodi City Hall and Prudential during the past two weeks. They feel they haven't received a satisfactory answer.

"Why do you let this home go so bad when you're trying to sell the property?" asked Rodriguez. "The lawn was so high you could deer hunt on the property."

The situation in Park West is just another example of how the downturn in the real estate market and the mortgage crisis have left homes unoccupied in Lodi, San Joaquin County and throughout the nation.

Many of the homes sit vacant as yards, pools and their overall appearances deteriorate. Neighbors have little recourse to fix the problems as code enforcement staffs are overwhelmed, and it's often a struggle to figure out who owns the properties.

Prudential broker Donna Cartwright, whose name is on the "for sale" sign on Tejon Street near Lower Sacramento Road, declined to comment.

"It would be best to call the owner direct," Cartwright said Wednesday. "I'm not at liberty to discuss the owner."

City records show that the house is owned by U.S. Bank, so the city sent a "courtesy letter" to the bank's San Diego headquarters on Aug. 16, said Lodi city spokesman Jeff Hood.

U.S. Bank spokeswoman Jennifer Wendt said Wednesday afternoon she is looking into the bank's records on the Tejon Street property, and had no other information.

Mayor Bob Johnson said he has discussed with city staff the possibility of adopting an ordinance to require absentee owners to maintain their property.

"I don't know how far down the line (discussion) has gone," Johnson said. "I'm not trying to side with anybody, but the owner is supposed to maintain the property, not the agent."

Another problem the city faces in foreclosure cases is determining just who the owner is, said Randy Hatch, Lodi's community development director.

"One of the problems is following the trail of owners," he said. "Documents at the (county) recorder's office may not be current."

But Hatch said the city, through its present ordinances, has enough teeth to enforce sanctions against unsightly vacant properties.

"We updated our code enforcement process so we can go after homeowners," Hatch said.

Manteca ordinance on neglected vacant homes

The Manteca City Council will soon consider adopting an ordinance that would result in civil penalties of up to $1,000 per day with a maximum of $100,000 for unsightly structures. If the fine isn't paid, the city may place a lien on the property.
Under the proposed ordinance, the exterior of the house, including landscaping, must be maintained to not create the appearance of an unsecured, unoccupied structure or another hazard to public safety, according to a report by Manteca Police Chief Charles Halford.
If landscaping isn't maintained, the city may hire a contractor to perform the work and charge the property owner.
Source: City of Manteca.

The city of Manteca is developing an ordinance to allow that city to strictly punish owners of abandoned homes that aren't secure and lack landscape maintenance, said Manteca City Clerk Joann Tilton.

Lodi has its eyes on a dozen abandoned homes that are vacant, Hood said. They are located all over town, including the neighborhood near Mills Avenue and Yosemite Drive, the area near the intersection of Hutchins Street and Kettleman Lane, and the neighborhood east of the Grape Bowl.

"Some communities are totally overwhelmed," Hatch said. "So far, it doesn't seem like a crisis situation here like in some communities."

The city is low on personnel to enforce its ordinance regarding vacant buildings. The city has one full-time code enforcement officer and retained two consultants to help on nuisance abatement, Hatch said.

Due to manpower restrictions, the city must prioritize where that enforcement will be, Hood said.

"If (the houses are) secure and vacant, we're not going to be taking any special steps," Hood said. "If it has a broken window or something like that, It would move up the priority ladder. It has to be a safety or public health issue."

Dead vegetation is considered a nuisance, Hood said. If a swimming pool turns green, then it would get the city's attention because standing water breeds mosquitoes and the potential for someone contracting West Nile virus.

The San Joaquin County Mosquito and Vector control District has been busy this summer treating swimming pools, ponds and other standing water to prevent outbreaks of mosquitoes.

Contact reporter Ross Farrow at rossf@lodinews.com.

Reader Feedback

neighborly wrote on Oct 3, 2007 5:04 AM:

" I hope that people who try to maintain the yards of their neighbors would not be prosecuted for trespassing, nor should they face liabilty for this act. If neighbors are allowed to do this, it would help the neighborhood appearance and protect it from vagrants. Neighbors who care for one another should be respected and applauded and not have to worry about repurcussions. They are helping their present neighbors as well as themselves and are trying to protect the health and safety of their neighborhood. Isn't it nice to know that such people exist in Lodi? "

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