With tens of thousands of homes across Florida left abandoned and overgrown by the foreclosure crisis, governments from Miami to Winter Garden have responded by sending crews out to mow lawns, clean pools and do other basic work -- leaving behind bills for the banks to pay once they take possession of the property.
The state's banking industry wants to put a stop to the practice.
Banking lobbyists have quietly crafted a measure in the Florida Legislature that would prevent cities and counties from forcing the banks that hold mortgages on properties in foreclosure to maintain those properties until they have actually acquired the title to the land -- a process that can take six months or more to complete. The language, written by the Florida Bankers Association, would also prevent cities from establishing registries to keep track of all the foreclosed homes in their area.
I'm sure some beancounters think this is a good idea, but I'm pretty sure this is really really stupid. Failure to maintain these properties is going to leave the banks with title to squatter-filled gutted shells with a mosquito farm in the pool.