NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. -- Before leveling fines toward the owners of abandoned and neglected homes and buildings, made possible due to the Abandoned Property Neighborhood Relief Act, the City of Niagara Falls held an information session Thursday to go over the blueprints.
"Today, we saw that municipalities, big and small, all across Western New York, are willing to band together to exchange information and share resources to help address this issue," said Mayor Paul Dyster, D-Niagara Falls.
The law, which went into effect last year, lets municipalities hold the property owners responsible for maintaining those properties, mainly banks, until foreclosure is complete.
"Our problem has always been getting our hands on the guy who has a financial stake or responsibility for the property. That's always been our problem," said Cosimo Capozzi, a building inspector in North Tonawanda.
"Most of them are LLC's, corporations from out of state, they don't respond so, that's the huge issue. We know our job, we know how to do it but it's getting them in front of a judge. That's the problem."
"These banks have to register the properties with the state so, if they do register those properties, that means you can fine the actual entity because you can locate them. Whereas now, you don't know who you're trying to find because the house might actually be in the name of the last owner that's being foreclosed on," said Seth Piccirillo, City of Niagara Falls community development director.
Assemblyman Mickey Kearns, who authored the legislation, says banks can be fined $500 a day if found responsible, but he's not sure they'll follow the law.
"I don't believe that the banks are going to comply, and I have already filed legislation to up that from $500 to $1,000 a day," said Kearns, D-Buffalo.