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Erie Land Bank reports grants, judicial‑tax sale progress and spring rehab plans
Summary
The Erie Land Bank told the board it secured Hillman Foundation and state MAP support to revive the Pennsylvania Land Bank Network, is advancing quiet‑title actions on judicial tax‑sale properties, and expects 5–7 East Side properties to be ready for rehab by late spring.
The Erie Land Bank’s executive director updated the board on efforts to speed conveyances and expand land‑banking support across Pennsylvania, saying the authority received a Hillman Foundation award and a state MAP grant to fund consultants for the Pennsylvania Land Bank Network.
Why it matters: staff said the grants will finance technical assistance to help other land banks form and operate, and the director said the work could increase access to shared materials and expertise statewide.
At the meeting the director noted the land bank is down to 19 of 21 properties originally identified on a judicial tax‑sale list and that staff had signed checks associated with the sales. The solicitor said the office had developed a way to document acquisition and demolition expenses to seek inheritance‑tax relief from the Department of Revenue so properties can be conveyed for nominal sums rather than remain tied to excessive assessed values.
"We have found a way to get a credit for the expenses that we've incurred to be applied toward what would be inheritance tax owed on it," the solicitor said, describing a process designed to remove liens and speed conveyance.
Board members pressed staff on how many properties could be ready for rehabilitation. The executive director said the land bank expects about 5–7 properties, primarily on the East Side (locations mentioned included East 10th Street through East 26th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue), to be ready for rehab opportunities by late spring once quiet‑title work finishes.
The director cautioned that some parcels are in poor condition and that final determinations will depend on interior inspections after equitable ownership is secure. He also declined to disclose the MAP grant amount on the record but offered to forward grant documentation to the board by email.
What’s next: staff said they will return with specifics about the MAP award and continue quiet‑title actions and hearings scheduled in January. The board accepted the report with no formal opposition.
