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Debris from broken dreams piles up in county

riverview Foreclosures leave behind abandoned properties.

By CATHERINE E. SHOICHET, Times Staff Writer
Published November 2, 2007

Furniture, trash and debris litter a Riverview house after a family just walked away. Code enforcement officials check the house several times a week to make sure no one is in it.
	[Skip O'Rourke | Times]

Down an unmarked dirt road, tucked behind trees near dozens of sprawling subdivisions, this is what was left behind: Trailers without insulation and homes without copper wiring. Scattered pool filters, paint cans, salad spoons and tires. Garage walls covered with graffiti. An abandoned adult bookstore sign.

This is where a fish farm once stood, where a developer went under, where Bill Langford stares into the murky water and simply shakes his head.

"We just want to make sure that there's no kids floating in the pool," he says.

- - -

The property is one of many places in Hillsborough County left in limbo by the shifting real estate market.

While lawyers wrangle over the land in foreclosure proceedings, Langford, who supervises code enforcement operations in southern Hillsborough, keeps watch.

Officials have filed numerous orders condemning unsafe structures on the site, including an unsecured swimming pool full of leaves and debris. But with no clear owner, enforcing cleanup is difficult. So inspectors regularly walk through a jungle of weeds, and piles of rubble and broken glass.

It wasn't always like this.

Amid the hot real estate market of 2004, representatives from the developer told county officials of plans to build 59 houses on 20 acres north of Tucker Jones Road and west of U.S. 301.

Where wild Brazilian pepper grew, they planned to build sidewalks and widen roads. They pledged to add turn lanes on nearby U.S. 301.

They would call their development Tucher Pond. It would be another suburban notch in Riverview's belt.

But the market turned before crews had a chance to clear the land and remove old buildings. Construction on the new development never started.

In May, a bank began foreclosure proceedings on the property. In August, Tucher Pond's developer filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

- - -

It's a tale that has become increasingly common throughout Hillsborough County - particularly in Brandon, Valrico and Riverview - code enforcement director Dexter Barge says.

Neighbors complain. Outside, inspectors spot tall grass and weeds, unkempt swimming pools, fences falling down and half-built subdivisions.

A paper trail at the county court clerk's office leaves a chain of clues. Properties mortgaged well beyond their value. Liens from contractors or homeowners associations. And often, foreclosure filings from lenders.

So far this year, more than 7,190 foreclosure cases have been filed in Hillsborough County, according to the clerk's office. Lenders filed more than 1,050 cases in October alone.

"In mid August, we started seeing a change," Langford said. "All of the sudden they started pouring into the office."

From trailer parks to tony subdivisions, inspectors have seen staggering examples of abandoned properties.

A repossessed pool left a crater full of water in a Bloomingdale home's back yard.

Fence posts still stand around a Brandon house, but the white vinyl fence is gone.

At a house near the Alafia River, someone has sold the doors and stripped wiring out of the walls. On the floor, beneath the broken glass, there are architectural drawings and letters from the IRS.

- - -

Foreclosures have become so prevalent in Hillsborough County that code enforcement officials have started to track them more closely.

"It's a problem," Barge said. "We're getting a significant number of new cases."

In the most extreme instances, like a backyard crater in a neighborhood full of kids, county funds can be used to help abate problems.

But now, inspectors are starting to contact mortgage companies and pressure them to clean up.

"Some of the mortgage companies are working with us. Some are a little slow. ... It's very time consuming," he said. "But that's what we have to do."

- - -

Daniel Cutini started plucking the weeds out of his next-door neighbor's yard three months ago.

He picked up piles of newspapers from the driveway.

He hired someone to help mow the grass.

"You live in a certain area because you like the way it is. And that's why you like to stay," said the 68-year-old retired furniture store owner, who moved into his Apollo Beach home in 1985. "You like it to stay nice."

From the other side of the street, Miron Kolodziejczak, 77, stretched his garden hose across the way to help water the lawn.

"We thought maybe the people were just not aware of the problem," he said.

But then mail started piling up and mold began growing on the home's exterior.

Code enforcement officials say the property is abandoned and headed for foreclosure.

Neighbors say it's an eyesore that disrupts their well-kept canal-front street. They worry about rodents and vandals discovering it.

"The longer it stays vacant, even though we live in a nice neighborhood, you never know what elements will come through," Cutini said.

Catherine E. Shoichet can be reached at cshoichet@sptimes.com or 661-2454.

Fast facts:

Facing foreclosure

Some nonprofit organizations offer help for families facing foreclosure. Here are a few:

- Several programs are available at Hillsborough County's Neighborhood Service Centers. Two locations serve residents in southeast Hillsborough. To reach the facility in Ruskin, call 813 671-7647. Call (813) 757-3871 to reach the Plant City center.

- The Homeless Coalition of Hillsborough County offers one-time mortgage assistance payments. Call (813) 223-6115.

- The Catholic Charities Diocese of St. Petersburg works with clients facing foreclosure and assists them in limited financial assistance and counseling service. Call (813) 833-3693

Source: Hillsborough County Code Enforcement

[Last modified November 1, 2007, 06:30:48]