Blight Complaints Increasing in Milford

Blight is nothing new in Milford and in reality the number of complaints is increasing, health department officials say. 

The biggest source of new complaints are vacant homes that are falling into disrepair, according to minutes from a recent health board meeting. 

People are complaining that paint is peeling, vegetation is not being cut and fallen trees are not being removed. 

Here is the full report from the Board of Health meeting:

As of the week ending June 13, 2014 the Health Department received 72 total complaints of blight since the beginning of the 2013/2014 fiscal year. Since the ordinance went into effect in September of 2009, the Division received a total of 516 complaints. 

Over time each complaint is in various stages of the process, some properties do not meet the criteria set up in the anti-blight ordinance and are being investigated under the Housing or General Public Health codes. 

Others are in compliance and show no cause for enforcement action, while others are still in progress or under investigation. 

We are seeing a rise in the number of complaints about vacant homes that are not being maintained, i.e. peeling paint, vegetation not cut back, fallen trees not removed. MHD is working hard to track down the responsible parties and get them to clean up the property. Unfortunately, the enforcement process takes time and getting the banks, mortgage and management companies to take care of the issues is proving to be arduous. 

Currently, nine properties failed to comply with the orders defined in the Notice of Violation. Liens have been placed on the corresponding land records and these properties are actively accruing $100 dollars/day for non-compliance with the anti-blight ordinance. MHD referred the addresses to the City Attorney’s office requesting that they initiate foreclosure in order to eliminate the blight. 

Do you feel you are living next to blighted properties? Let us know about it.