Senator Croci: Zombie Home Legislation Moving Towards Passage

Media Contacts:                                                                                                                                           

Christine Geed, Communications Specialist

geed@nysenate.gov or (631) 398-8044

Jennifer Romero, Press Secretary

jromero@nysenate.gov or (631) 513-5657

PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release

Hauppauge, NY – Legislation cosponsored by Senator Thomas Croci (R, C, I – Sayville) began moving forward in the Senate this week to address the zombie home plight in New York State and on Long Island.

The bill (S7434, sponsored by Senator Jeff Klein, a Democrat from the Bronx) requires banks that have taken possession of foreclosed properties to properly maintain them so they do not blight the rest of the neighborhood.  In a demonstration of bipartisanship, Senator Croci is currently the only Senate Republican to sign on in support of the bill so far.

“Blighted zombie homes are a critical issue for communities I represent in the 3rd Senate District here on Long Island and other communities across New York State,” said Senator Croci.  “It’s an issue I have wrestled with for years, going back to my service as Islip Town Supervisor.  Adding another tool to remove zombie homes in our neighborhoods will only aid in these collaborative efforts.  This bill brings all the stakeholders into the process – local governments, the banks and the public – to identify and eliminate blighted homes and prevent foreclosed properties from becoming blighted in the first place.”

Specifics of the bill include:

(1) Requires the NYS Department of Financial Services (DFS) to establish a statewide database of foreclosed real residential property with essential information made available to municipalities and, upon a Freedom of Information Law request, non-government entities;

(2) Demands the DFS establish a toll-free hotline for residents to report foreclosed real residential properties; and

(3) Authorizes the Attorney General to impose fines and initiate legal proceedings against financial institutions that fail to adhere by the duty to maintain foreclosed real residential properties they possess.

This legislation has cleared the Senate Banking Committee and is now in the Senate Finance Committee, a last stop before a bill is reported to the floor of the Senate for a final vote.

Town of Brookhaven Supervisor Ed Romaine said, "I applaud Senator Croci for taking a lead role in the fight against zombie homes on Long Island. We have nearly 2,000 vacant houses in Brookhaven and so many are not maintained, creating a hardship for the rest of the neighborhood. I urge Senator Croci's colleagues in the Senate and Assembly to follow his lead and support this legislation."

“As the Supervisor of a town, like others across the state, that has had high foreclosure rates in the aftermath of the housing crisis, and has endured the scourge of zombie homes, I applaud the efforts of Senator Croci in trying to address this issue head on. These homes not only pose a risk to the health and welfare of our residents, but also can lower property values of the surrounding homeowners. “–Supervisor Angie Carpenter.

Last year, Senator Croci co-sponsored a bill (S5845) that passed the Senate which would have enabled local governments to move more quickly to take possession of homes certified as abandoned, so they could either be knocked down or re-sold to willing buyers.  The Assembly failed to pass the bill.

All media inquiries should be directed to Senator Croci’s Communications Specialist, Christine Geed at (631) 398-8044 (call or text) or via email at geed@nysenate.gov.  Inquiries for additional information should be directed to Senator Croci’s Press Secretary, Jennifer Romero at (631) 513-5657 or via email at jromero@nysenate.gov

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