Detroit nonprofit produces foreclosure map

A Detroit non-profit has created an interactive guide to 13,000 tax delinquent city properties that will be offered for sale by Wayne County at an online auction scheduled for later this month.

Last month’s online property auction raised $1.8 million for the county. The next auction gets underway on Oct. 21. The minimum bid on a property is $500.

The Data Driven Detroit guide offers street level views of the properties along with descriptions and information about the distances to the nearest park, bus stop and grocery store.

Community Legal Services in Detroit recommends that concerned residents pay attention to the auctions in their neighborhoods.

… The fact that this auction is open to anyone who registers means that outcomes can result in a wide range of community control. For example, a concerned resident or Community Development Corporation may purchase a parcel for property expansion or redevelopment, or a speculator may purchase a property for investment.

Residents and local non-profit organizations can play a vital role in preventing auction properties from becoming negative influences on a neighborhood’s quality of life. To do this, residents and local organizations might consider taking the following actions 1) be aware of which properties are up for auction, and 2) play an active role in monitoring the status and ownership of the property throughout both auctions.

Wayne County Treasurer Raymond Wojtowicz told Crain’s Detroit that starting this year the county will be able to reclaim properties that not maintained by those that purchase them at auction.

“The Treasurer’s Office will require purchasers to keep taxes current on the property as well as demolish, secure or maintain the property as required,” he said in a statement. “If a purchaser fails to do so, the local community will have the right to take back that property with a 30-day notice. This is an aggressive measure, as our goal is to eliminate blight and abandonment in our communities.”