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North Royalton officials describe rise in senior tax delinquencies and hoarding; Senior Center ribbon cutting set for July 23
Summary
Economic Development staff and the Mayor told the committee the county is seeing a record number of tax delinquencies and that hoarding and nuisance properties among seniors are increasing; the Mayor announced the Senior Center ribbon cutting on July 23.
City staff and elected officials told the Building & Building Codes Committee that senior homeowner tax delinquencies and hoarding-related nuisance properties are a growing concern for North Royalton.
"The county has a record amount of delinquency," Economic Development Director Tom Jordan said, adding that "the number of homes owned by seniors that are heading into tax foreclosure is also going up." He said hoarding does not necessarily mean taxes are unpaid but can create public-nuisance and safety issues; several cases are in court, including an extreme example on Tanglewood Avenue.
Jordan said the City plans to pursue interdepartmental training on handling hoarding cases and to use the Senior Center for counseling and resource outreach. Mayor Larry Antoskiewicz announced the Senior Center ribbon cutting will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday, July 23, followed by tours and a picnic; he invited council members to request limited previews to comply with Sunshine laws.
Jordan described individual cases where residents have been forced from unsafe homes and where cleanup is ongoing. He said staff expect the issue to affect the city budget and that more resources will likely be directed to nuisance and hoarding enforcement and senior outreach.
No formal policy or funding decisions were made at the meeting; Council directed staff to continue work and report back with options.
