OVER-GROWN PROBLEMS: Unruly yards become an ‘eyesore' when foreclosure strikes (PHOTOS)

Joe Godbee says he and his wife Brittany are tired of the unwanted guests at their Santa Rosa Beach home.

Godbee, like a growing number of others, lives next door to a home that is currently in foreclosure proceedings. The owners have moved out and left the property unkempt — no maintenance, bug infestations and over-grown grass as thick as an Amazon rainforest.

“We have called everyone, from the Realtor to code enforcement, who basically told us ‘good luck,’ ” he said. “Many times, I have been on the brink of taking care of the issue myself and maintaining the yard, but this is about principle.”

 “Other than the obvious eyesore, we have noticed an influx in the amount of bugs and pests around the house,” he said of the home on Whispering Pines Court in Walton County. “While mowing my lawn last week, I even noticed a dead field mouse in the side yard.”

Although some banks have “property maintenance divisions” to handle such problems, they are not required by law. So, once the home falls into foreclosure and the homeowners have left, the bank or whoever assumes ownership of the property is responsible for maintenance. But that’s only if they choose to do it.

“We would like for the bank to step up and take control of the yard,” Godbee said. “If I start taking care of the yard, it just gives the bank the OK not to do anything about their properties.”

Walton County Public Information Officer Ken Little understands Godbee’s concern, but said once the homeowner leaves it can be difficult to get something done.

“You just have to grapple with it the best you can,” he said.

According to www.foreclosure.com there are currently 436 properties in Walton County in foreclosure and another 359 that are in pre-foreclosure, meaning the property owners are in a grace period and have been warned that they need to remedy the situation.

Walton County planning and development director Gerry Demers told The Log that the county did experience an increase in the number of foreclosures after the housing market crashes, but as of late, they have seen better times.

He said unkempt lawns “go through our code enforcement process. The properties that are not up to code can end up having liens put against the property.”

The numbers in Okaloosa County are not any better, but actually slightly higher, with 287 homes currently in foreclosure, and 706 in pre-foreclosure.

City of Destin code enforcement director David Bazylak told The Log that there are only about seven foreclosed properties in the city right now, and when it comes to enforcement, his hands are tied.

 “Our basic premise is that when a property is in maintenance violation, we cite the property owner,” he said. “When the property is in foreclosure it can take a little more time to get something done.”

And while issuing citations is currently the city’s best tool, it is by no means effective, as citations typically go unpaid by owners who may be in foreclosure.

Once a citation is issued, the property owner has the opportunity to fix the violation. If that does not happen, the citation is taken to the code enforcement board and a $250 administrative fine will be added. If still not resolved, the property owner can be fined up to $250 a day for every day the property is in violation.

“It’s just tough,” Bazylak said. “You can issue violations to a person who is being foreclosed, and they don’t care.”

When The Log asked Bazylak if the city had ever contemplated maintaining the properties, he said “no.”

“Going on to private property can open up an entire can of worms,” he said. “There can be legal ramifications for doing that, so we are apprehensive.”

Godbee said the house next to him has been vacant since August/September of last year, and that he is ultimately concerned with the long-term effects the neighboring property will have on his home.

“A home is like anything else, when you stop using it, it falls apart,” he said. “It already is affecting our property in value, pest problems and curb appeal.”