TAMPA - More vacant and abandoned foreclosure properties are popping up across America.

To deal with issues of safety and upkeep costs, local and state governments are being forced to consider property registries to identify and monitor the empty homes.

Hillsborough County may be next.

In Florida, several cities, including Coral Springs and North Lauderdale, both in Broward County, have created registries and charge banks a fee to report properties and assist with maintenance.

Coral Springs' program started in July. The city charges $150 per registration and has about 500 properties on its list. North Lauderdale, which charges $50, began its program in June. To date, about 153 properties have been registered.

The Hillsborough County Commission last week voted unanimously to draft an ordinance to create a registry for unincorporated parts of the county and to determine an appropriate filing fee. The Legislature is considering a similar, statewide effort.

Since January 2006, there have been more than 36,298 new foreclosure cases filed in Hillsborough County.

"All of these would not be vacant and abandoned," said Rachael Greenstein, assistant county attorney, who is drafting the proposed ordinance.
Greenstein said she plans to talk directly to banks and other mortgage lenders to "get their feedback to see what they're willing to do."

At least one lending institution, Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, says it is willing to cooperate.

"Wells Fargo takes seriously its role in preserving, securing and maintaining the foreclosed properties it owns," said spokeswoman Debora Blume. "If a new regulation is put into place in Hillsborough County, we would reach out to the commission to ensure our understanding and compliance with the ordinance."

Blume said there are 156 similar ordinances already in place across the United States. At least four other states, California, Massachusetts, New York and Ohio, are considering statewide registries, she said. And there are at least 43 city registration ordinances awaiting passage.

Officials in Coral Springs and North Lauderdale say compliance has been good.

The main issue is time.

Kevin Pierson, neighborhood improvement coordinator for North Lauderdale's community development department, said he spends at least 20 hours a week gathering foreclosure information and verifying ownership.
Coral Springs set its registration fee based on the amount of work involved with research, sending notices and ensuring compliance.

Ken Maroney, chief code enforcement officer for Coral Springs, has a six-member foreclosure team. "It's a constant, day to day," he said. "There's a lot of research."

In Coral Springs, banks have 30 days to register before a citation warning is mailed. The warning allows 30 more days, at which time a $300 citation is issued and a special magistrate hearing is set. The final step is a property lien.

The city has issued 124 citations to date, he said.

"They banks finally realized it's easier for them to get a local property manager," Maroney said. "The worst thing they can do is have liens on the property when they're trying to sell it."