http://www.vindy.com/news/2010/jun/09/bank-starts-cleaning-filthy-house/?newswatch

 

There are probably hundreds of bank owned houses in the city of Youngstown that don't even get basic maintenance - like cutting of grass, or keeping the property secure. (there's a house in my neighborhood that has been missing its front door for about 2 months now)  Most of these houses were habitable, and some even in good shape until the bank foreclosed.  But now that the bank owns them, they sit and rot until the city comes along and demolishes them.

 

But, there is a house in Canfield, (an exclusive suburb of Youngstown) that has been called "deplorable."  The owners each pleaded guilty to six counts of animal cruelty and two counts of child endangering because the house was so disgusting.  But, it appears the bank intends to spend thousands of dollars to rehab this house.

 

I realize that, in the end, this is about the money, but it's still annoying to me that there is a blatant double standard here between how bank owned homes in the city, and bank owned homes in the suburbs are cared for.

Word. That makes Al Bundy die a little bit more inside to hear that.

 

/sarcasm

 

Can't have that in Canfield now can we...

 

/sarcasm

There is a judge in Cleveland named Ray Pianka that has been trying to fight these exact type of things... unfortunately he is finding the law is not really on his side.  He is however starting to open some eyes.  Even when the Ohio Supreme court ruled against the ways he was trying to run some of his cases, they acknowledged that he was right, and the system is broken and we may have to alter legislation to do what is right.

We could really use a new Supreme Court.  This isn't the first time they've shut down anti-forclosure efforts.  Vote Eric Brown for Chief Justice.  He's only been there a couple months.  Other than Brown, find out which Justices are incumbents and vote against them in November.  These are technically non-partisan races so you gotta do your homework.