Owners of abandoned properties will soon be obliged to tidy them up or turn them over to the state.
Garth Wilkin, Attorney General and Minister of Justice and Legal Affairs, told reporters that landowners must be held accountable for their property because they endanger the community and national security.
“We are finalizing a Community Beautification and Safety Bill for discussion, which will seek to ensure that all abandoned lots and homes are cleansed and cleaned.” Many abandoned lots and houses are utilized to conceal weapons, bullet-proof jackets, and other criminally used equipment. They also pose a health risk to neighbors by serving as breeding grounds for mosquitoes and rats,” he explained.
The expense of cleaning up the abandoned houses and lots will be added to the property tax of the landowners.
The AG stated that landowners will be given adequate notice to tidy up their property before any action is taken.
“For long-standing abandoned properties where the landowner repeatedly fails to take action to cleanse and clean their lots, the State may acquire those lots to re-purpose for housing for persons, particularly in constituencies where there is little available,” Wilkin noted.
