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Cuyahoga County Land |
Frequently Asked QuestionsWhat is the Cuyahoga County Land Reutilization Corporation? Why is there need now for the CCLRC? Who is responsible for the governance and operations of the CCLRC? Is the CCLRC subject to the Ohio Public Records and Ohio Open Meeting Laws? How often does the Board of Directors of the CCLRC meet? What is the CCLRC's service area? Is Cuyahoga County liable for or obligated to pay the debts and contracts of the CCLRC? How will the CCLRC be staffed for achieving its mission? How can I find out about CCLRC's programs and activities? From what sources will the CCLRC receive properties? How is the CCLRC different from a city land bank? What will you do with properties once you receive them? Does the CCLRC override the authority of individual cities? Does the CCLRC have to abide by local zoning, and building and housing laws? Will the CCLRC take all foreclosed properties?
Q: What is the Cuyahoga County Land Reutilization Corporation? A: After the passage of State enabling legislation, (S.B. 353, 127th General Assembly) the Cuyahoga County Commissioners created the CCLRC as a non profit organization whose mission is to strategically acquire properties, return them to productive use, reduce blight, increase property values, support community goals, and to improve the quality of life for County residents. Q: Why is there need now for the CCLRC? A: "The costs of dealing with vacant and abandoned properties fall mainly to local governments, which are often unable to break the cycle of foreclosure to abandonment to blight. They are thwarted by heavy costs, the lack of a timely legal mechanism to acquire properties, liability concerns, and no overarching strategy to address the problems at a regional level. Land banks provide that mechanism." (Breaking the Housing Crisis Cycle: Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, 2008, pg. 18) Q: Who is responsible for the governance and operations of the CCLRC? A: The CCLRC is governed by a Board of Directors. Ohio law requires a minimum of five Directors, including the county treasurer and two of the three county commissioners. The Code of Regulations of the CCLRC requires two additional Directors from the municipality in the County with the largest population. The Board of Directors is authorized to employ an executive director who will be responsible for the daily management and operations of the CCLRC. Q: Is the CCLRC subject to the Ohio Public Records and Ohio Open Meeting Laws? A: Yes, as a quasi-governmental corporation, the CCLRC, with minor exceptions, is subject to the Ohio Public Records and Ohio Open Meeting Laws. Q: How often does the Board of Directors of the CCLRC meet? A: The CCLRC's Code of Regulations requires the Board of Directors to convene a regular meeting at least once every calendar quarter and to convene an annual meeting on the third Thursday of March in each year or on any date after that third Thursday, but in no event later than April 30th. Board of Directors' meetings will generally be held in Room 140 of Lakeside Place, 323 Lakeside Ave. NW, the building in which the CCLRC's offices are located. Q: How is the CCLRC funded? A: The CCLRC has a few sources that will fund its mission. At the most basic level, the CCLRC will receive annually the penalties and interest that accrue on delinquent property taxes. To be entitled to receive this base level funding, the Cuyahoga County Treasurer (the Treasurer) must make early advances of these delinquent taxes from his daily balances to the various cities, schools and special taxing districts in Cuyahoga County. To the extent of these early advances to the various taxing entities, the CCLRC will essentially receive an assignment (in generic terms) of the penalty and interest associated with those delinquent payments. The CCLRC is also authorized to receive tax foreclosed properties, most of them having negative equity, along with others having positive equity. Positive equity properties will be stabilized and resold, the proceeds from which will be used to fund the continued mission of the CCLRC, i.e., demolition, stabilization and rehabilitation of substandard properties. Additional outside sources of funding include, but are not limited to, gifts, grants and loans, including the issuance of its bonds. Q: What is the CCLRC's service area? A: Although the bulk of the problems arising from the foreclosure crisis arise in the City of Cleveland and inner ring suburbs of Cuyahoga County, the CCLRC is authorized to service all of Cuyahoga County commensurate with funding and priority of need. Q: Is Cuyahoga County liable for or obligated to pay the debts and contracts of the CCLRC? A: No, Cuyahoga County is not liable for, or obligated to pay the debts and contracts of, the CCLRC. The CCLRC is a separate corporation under Ohio law which can incur debts and borrow money under its own corporate name. Q: How will the CCLRC be staffed for achieving its mission? A: The Board of Directors of the CCLRC will hire an executive director for the CCLRC. The Executive Director of the CCLRC will hire the CCLRC's staff. Q: How can I find out about CCLRC's programs and activities? A: The CCLRC has a publicly available Web site [www.cuyahogalandbank.org] on which regular updates on programmatic operations are posted, along with information on the scheduled Board meetings. The Web site also invites visitors to sign up for digital mailings about CCLRC activities. Q: From what sources will the CCLRC receive properties? A: The three main sources of properties obtained by the CCLRC will be tax foreclosures, the purchase of foreclosed properties from banks and other lenders, and properties that are gifted to the CCLRC. Q: How is the CCLRC different from a city land bank? A: Unlike land banks that are programs within local governments, the CCLRC is a County land bank, but administered by a separate non profit organization with its own source of funding. While many city land banks will not acquire property with buildings, the CCLRC may, after proper assessment, and based on funding capabilities. Q: What will you do with properties once you receive them? A: The CCLRC will assess each property it acquires and determine whether it should be demolished, rehabilitated and sold or rented, or boarded up in order to make a future determination of the property's highest and best use. Q: Does the CCLRC override the authority of individual cities? A: No. City land banks will have the first chance to acquire any property in their municipalities. The CCLRC will encourage a Memorandum of Understanding with each municipality in which it works. Q: Does the CCLRC have to abide by local zoning, and building and housing laws? A: Yes. Q: Will the CCLRC take all foreclosed properties? A: The CCLRC will take many, but not all, vacant and abandoned tax foreclosed properties that do not contain serious environmental risks. The CCLRC will determine what mortgage foreclosed properties it will purchase based on consideration of available funding, environmental risk, and strategic factors in cooperation with Cuyahoga County municipalities. |
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