Group working to take over problem properties in Old South End

TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) - It’s not something that every state has, but in Ohio, it’s a unique process that lets someone take control of a nuisance property to fix it up.

If this goes well, one group in Toledo wants to help fix up the Old South End house by house.

“We’re working on a big, huge thing that I thought would’ve never turned out this way,” said Janie King, a resident of the Old South End.

King was laser-focused on finding a solution to the abandoned, infested and blighted property right next to hers on Colburn Street.

Finally, it was torn down. King’s focus expanded.

“From there it turned out to be all the houses in the neighborhood,” King said.

She began photographing all of the run-down buildings in her neighborhood, capturing at least 70 blighted properties.

From boarded-up houses to trash-covered yards, it’s a housing ecosystem that George Thomas, the CEO and general counsel for The Fair Housing Center, says has been largely caused by disinvestment.

Thomas said it included historic practices like redlining. Certain neighborhoods were denied home loans, many in the center city and in minority neighborhoods. Although it is illegal now, Thomas said the effects of redlining are still seen today.

“Those patterns, that inertia is not going to change is not going to change unless we really work on making it change,” Thomas said.

King, Thomas and other community members and nonprofits are working on a variety of solutions for change.

One is going through with a receivership.

“We’ll test it out and if it works well, hopefully we can do it again and again,” Thomas said.

In Ohio, the process starts with identifying a nuisance property.

“We would initiate a lawsuit against a property owner, saying, you’re not keeping up this property and then ask the court to appoint what’s called a receiver,” Thomas said.

That receiver comes in, takes over the property and brings it up to compliance.

“That’s a really powerful idea because normally, you can’t just take over another property, you’re going to have to buy it or maybe eventually foreclose on it if property taxes aren’t being paid and that could take a very long time,” Thomas said.

A receivership could be the solution King and other Old South End residents are looking for to patch up problem properties one by one.

Thomas said the group of residents and nonprofits will pick a house to try a receivership on, and if it is successful, they will move on to other buildings in the neighborhood.

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