The Editorial Board: Receivership is a tried-and-true solution for neglected Buffalo properties (The Buffalo News)

Put neglected properties into the hands of those who will bring them back to life.

It is an idea whose time has come, and it should be strengthened in New York State law. Sen. Sean Ryan and Assembly Member Jonathan Rivera, both Democrats, are sponsoring the City of Buffalo Historic Preservation Receivership Act, a bill in the State Legislature that would enable court-ordered receivers to pay for necessary repairs to bring dilapidated buildings up to code, then initiate legal actions requiring the owners to pay for the work.

The process has already been successfully implemented in Buffalo. In January 2021, it saved 40 Cottage St., which had been abandoned for more than a decade by notorious absentee owner Charles Dobucki. The property’s back cottage was falling apart, but Preservation Buffalo Niagara purchased it through an older receivership law, the Safe Buffalo Housing Court Act, and paid for emergency repairs. After other work was completed, the property was put on the market.

It’s a success story that needs to be more common. The new legislation would establish protocols and language to better enable repairs of code violations after receivership is established. Ryan and Rivera’s bill passed the State Senate in May, nearly unanimously. The same thing should happen in the Assembly when lawmakers return to Albany.

Click here to read the full story.