Home Repair: Assembly Candidate Supports Legislation To Eliminate Blighted Homes By: Katie Atkins, Post-Journal

The property, located at 130 Weeks St., is one of many throughout Chautauqua County on the list of those which are condemned.

The Abandoned Property Neighborhood Relief Act, launched by Attorney General Eric Schneiderman in June, has yet to be voted on in both the Senate and Assembly.

The law would make it so that homeowners who fall behind in mortgage payments would be able to remain in the home throughout the foreclosure process. If the property were abandoned, the lenders would then be responsible for its upkeep soon after its vacancy.

The current foreclosure process can take years to complete and often results in homeowners abandoning properties after falling behind on mortgage payments, leaving properties vulnerable to decay and ultimately decreasing property values of neighboring homes.

Currently, there are 58 abandoned properties throughout the city of Jamestown.

"When someone can't pay their mortgage, the perception is that they have to get out right away and they'll be free and clear," Yochim said, adding that in some cases, banks from out of town are responsible for the upkeep of the dilapidated homes. "It's not the small credit unions or even the national and international banks with local presences. It's the big Wall Street banks that leave them in decay because otherwise they'd be forced to spend money to keep them up."

Schneiderman's bill would make lenders responsible for delinquent properties throughout the foreclosure process if abandoned. The bill would also create a statewide registry for the properties.

Yochim commended the Chautauqua County Land Bank for procuring grant funds to demolish blighted homes in Jamestown, Dunkirk and smaller communities throughout the county.

He also said his opponent Andy Goodell, R-C-I-Jamestown, and state Sen. Catharine Young, R-C-IOlean, both opposed the Neighborhood Relief Act shortly after it was introduced.

"I think they look at it from a top-down view, where it will affect the banks and interest rates," Yochim said. "I'm coming from the bottom up and looking at it from the perspective of the people that live in these communities."

Goodell said giving financial institutions more responsibility will not help eliminate abandoned houses.

"Abandoned properties are a serious problem that we're seeing as a result of the tremendous time it takes for banks to foreclose on properties where the owners have given up paying anything, are no longer paying the taxes or living on the property," Goodell said. "Schneiderman's proposal does nothing to reform the mortgage foreclosure process. The solution, in my opinion, is to streamline the foreclosure process so that when an owner no longer wants to keep the property, we can move the process forward, sell it to a new owner and get it back on the tax rolls as quickly as possible."

Yochim and Goodell are seeking the Assembly's 150th District seat.

Yochim is a Chautauqua County native and is the executive director of Meals on Wheels. He was endorsed by the county Democratic Committee in February.

Incumbent Goodell is seeking his third term in the 150th District seat.