As the snow melts and spring has officially begun (according to the calendar), we are starting to notice some sights that are not usually apparent in the City of Flags. In these hard economic times, foreclosures are becoming more and more prevalent and with foreclosures come evictions. Most evictions are a smooth process where the homeowner finds a new place to live and moves all their possession out before the bank has to clean the property. However, there are times when evictions are not so smooth and this process can disrupt the neighborhood.
Once the bank decides to evict a homeowner, they serve what is known as a notice to quit or an eviction notice. This means, the bank is longer allowing the homeowner to occupy the property and the bank is taking possession. Legal documents must be filed with the local court before the bank can continue. The Bank then gives the homeowner or now the former homeowner time to remove their possessions from the property. After the time frame expires, the bank sends a crew over to clean up the property. Any possessions left behind by the former homeowner are moved out of the house and other structures to the front lawn where they are visible. That is the neighborhood disruption part. The former homeowner then has 24 hours to take any of the possessions they want. After that time period, the bank sends another crew with a dumpster and removes any remaining possessions on the property.
This causes a headache for my office because at the time of the eviction, the foreclosure notice has not come through city hall which makes it hard for us to find the bank that holds the mortgage. We need to know what bank is responsible for the property in case they do not clean the property in a timely manner after the eviction. In most situations, I will post a violation notice on the property the day of the eviction incase the bank does not follow-up quickly. This allows me to have the property cleaned through the Department of Public Works after five days of the violation posting.
To the neighbors of these homes, the process seems to take forever but really, an eviction happens very quickly if done in an appropriate and legal manner. This process can be so fast that I sometimes do not notice it happening. If you are ever out an about and see a property with an unusually high amount of trash in the front yard, let my office know so that we may act on it as fast as possible. After all, we all have a big part in keeping the City of Flags an eye appealing community for our residents and guest.
Jeff Sears
Code Enforcement Officer
City of Davison
810-653-2191