Cincinnati places liens for unpaid barricading, demolition

Cincinnati City Council has passed an ordinance that will allow the City to levy special assessments to collect the unpaid costs associated with securing or demolishing unsafe or condemned buildings.

The ordinance allows the City to apply the money it's owed as a lien, or an assessment, on the Hamilton County Auditor's property tax duplicate. The assessments are payable in five annual installments and carry a 9 percent interest rate.

The action covers 11 property owners who owe the City more than $161,000, with individual amounts ranging from $185.65 to nearly $61,000.

The most frequent offender, Discount Homes LLC of Indianapolis, owes $1,932.45 for five properties it owns in Avondale, South Fairmount, and Walnut Hills.

Typically, the costs of barricading or demolishing problem buildings are direct-billed to the property owners, then sent either to a private collection agency or the City Solicitor if non-payment occurs.

Under Ohio law, the use of liens for recovery is allowed under Section 715.261 (B)(1) of the Ohio Revised Code.