A Health and Safety Receivership is a legal remedy to combat neighborhood blight and transform problematic properties back into safe and habitable structures. A house or building within a community may be deteriorating due to various reasons ranging from severe hoarding, contaminated or unsafe living environments, or owner abandonment. Deteriorating properties are usually produced because no responsible party is willing or able to address the problems on the property. Whether due to an uncooperative property owner, quarreling heirs, disputes regarding title, or an owner that cannot be located, the structure or dwelling is poorly maintained making it an eyesore and hazard to the community. When a property is in severe disrepair and a danger to its tenants or neighboring residents, the property will affect the entire neighborhood.
A once thriving neighborhood can suffer due to substandard dwellings or structures in the neighborhood. Delinquent properties make neighborhoods unsafe, bring down the property value for other businesses and houses in the neighborhood, and discourage prospective buyers or investors. Problematic properties cause the surrounding community to lose pride in its neighborhood. Derelict properties adversely affect public’s health, safety and welfare by attracting illegal activity and create fire and safety hazards on the property and adjacent homes. Properties where illegal activities occur generate a greater risk of vandalism or robbery to the entire neighborhood.
Health and Safety Receiverships are very effective in bringing properties back into compliance, while also providing residents and neighborhoods the safety and security they expect. A court-appointed Receiver is appointed by the court to rehabilitate properties that have been neglected by property owners. A Receiver can take temporary control of the real property for the purpose of abating substandard conditions, preserving the property, and protecting the public’s health, safety and welfare. A Receiver revitalizes distressed neighborhoods that have suffered the impact of substandard properties and also seeks to restore economic value to the nuisance property and the surrounding community.
A Health and Safety Receiver can effectively rehabilitate distressed properties within a community. Richardson “Red” Griswold is appointed by courts to act as a Health & Safety Code Receiver for substandard properties across California. For more information, please contact Griswold Law.