There are many more Ron Browns out there

Friday's Enquirer had a story about Ron Brown, a 70-year-old Westwood resident who was sentenced to 170 days in jail for not cleaning up his properties.

While this case is a rarity for the housing court, there are many more people like him out there.

Their neighbors certainly know who they are.

The City of Cincinnati currently lists nearly 2,000 properties as either condemned or ordered vacant*, a 12 percent increase over a year ago. This doesn't include the hundreds with litter citations, overgrown lawns, or general repair orders.

It's not atypical for it to take between one and three years between pre-prosecution hearings on a property and the problem's ultimate resolution. It can take even longer if the property changes ownership because a new case has to be started.

I've seen houses that burned down take over a year to be demolished because it had to have a hearing and be put out to bid.

Perhaps the Department of Buildings and Inspections is understaffed.

I would like to compile a database of the City's worst offenders in the hopes of bringing them to light. If anybody has any ideas or submissions, please post them here.

I also invite general talk about derelict properties, slumlords, and the City's response to them.

* This doesn't include the City's numerous derelict properties.