Hocking County Land Bank reviews expedited foreclosure process, titles and condemned properties

Legal and staff members reviewed expedited foreclosure and transfer procedures for properties the land bank may acquire, and the board discussed several example parcels and administrative next steps.

Jeffrey (staff member) summarized procedural options for getting abandoned or tax-delinquent properties into the land bank. He cited the statute, saying, "I would direct your attention to section 57 21 19 of the Ohio revised code," and described steps including title searches, publication/notice, and the option of an amended entry or board-of-revision designation to transfer a property to the land bank. He also warned of unassessed liens such as delinquent water bills or township cleanup assessments and recommended visual inspections and title work before accepting properties.

The group discussed a parcel referenced as 17000389 tied to Mary Elizabeth Ellison, noting that the property may already be forfeited and that some parcels are effectively worth less than the cost to remediate. The board also reviewed condemned and tax-exempt properties (several churches) and discussed nuisance suits or other filings where tax foreclosure is not applicable.

Staff said it had referred several properties to the prosecutor for title work and that seven parcels were in some state of progress. The board agreed the land bank's administrative tasks — opening bank accounts and setting up accounting software — should be prioritized so the authority can accept deeds once transfers are ready.

No formal decisions were made to acquire specific parcels at this meeting. The board discussed outreach to trustees and townships to gather documented evidence of blight (address, parcel ID, and any health or city documentation) to support future filings.