Delaware County Land Bank opens new First Commonwealth account, adds fraud protections and approves dues

The Delaware County Land Bank voted Jan. 13 to open a new First Commonwealth checking account and add bank fraud protections after staff detected an attempted fraudulent check against the organization's account.

Karen Furst, fiscal manager for the county commissioners, told the board the bank flagged a presented check that included the land bank’s routing number and a signature that “was pretty close to Jeff’s signature,” and the bank did not allow the payment to proceed. "They had our bank account routing number, and they were pretty close to Jeff's signature," Furst said, describing the incident and the bank's intervention.

Furst recommended closing the compromised account, opening a new account at First Commonwealth, and enabling fraud-protection services — positive pay and ACH filters — at an estimated $20 per month. The chair moved to open the new account with the chairperson and treasurer remaining as account signatories; the motion carried on a voice vote.

To pay for the changes, staff proposed several modest budget adjustments. Furst said the Ohio Land Bank had altered its dues structure, prompting an increase in association dues, and staff proposed adding up to $360 for bank fees while reducing miscellaneous expenses to keep the budget balanced. The board voted to amend the 2026 budget accordingly.

The board also approved a recurring payment for fraud-protection services. The chair asked the board to approve spending $220 per month for fraud protection; the motion was moved and seconded and passed by voice vote.

Separately, the board approved payment of $750 in 2026 dues to OLBA. "OLBA does a great job," the chair said, noting the organization’s conference, technical expertise and lobbying on brownfield and demolition grant funding. The board approved the increase in dues by voice vote; Karen Furst said she would write the check once the new checks arrive.

Furst said First Commonwealth indicated it would refund the cost of ordering replacement checks because the account change was prompted by fraud. She estimated the shipping cost of new checks at about $125 but said the bank would reimburse that expense when the new account is opened for fraud-related reasons.

The chair closed the short meeting with a reminder about demolition grant funds for fiscal year 2026: each county is allotted $230,000, and the land bank has applied for roughly $110,000 so far, leaving about $120,000 available for eligible demolition projects. He encouraged members to identify projects before the funding is forfeited.

The board discussed signature cards and check-ordering logistics; Furst said she had paperwork ready for the chair and Commissioner Merrill to sign so the account changes could be completed. The meeting concluded after roughly nine minutes.