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Senators Unveil Effort Against Rockland County 'Zombie' Homes

ROCKLAND COUNTY, N.Y. — On Wednesday, state Sens. Jeff Klein, D-Bronx, and David Carlucci, D-Clarkstown, unveiled a new report, “The Great American Bank Robbery: Rockland County,” detailing about $11.6 million in property value depreciation resulting from poorly maintained bank-owned homes and zombie properties.

Sen. David Carlucci explains how zombie properties have cost Rockland homeowners about $11.6 million in property value depreciation.

Sen. David Carlucci explains how zombie properties have cost Rockland homeowners about $11.6 million in property value depreciation.

Photo Credit: Contributed
This graph details the banks that are causing about $1.8 million in home depreciation in Rockland County.

This graph details the banks that are causing about $1.8 million in home depreciation in Rockland County.

Photo Credit: Contributed
The top 10 banks who own zombie properties in Rockland County.

The top 10 banks who own zombie properties in Rockland County.

Photo Credit: Contributed

The duo, used the unveiling of the report, the fourth in a series of reports conducted by the Senate Independent Democratic Conference, to issue their demand for new legislation to combat neighborhood blight from the bank-owned and zombie properties.

Standing in front of a deteriorating zombie property, Klein and Carlucci said new legislation is needed to monitor bank-owned homes, require banks to maintain zombie properties, levy major fines against persistent violators and create a community reinvestment fund to rid communities of blight.

“The fallout of the subprime mortgage crisis hurts taxpaying homeowners the most. Banks, who own properties through foreclosure, let homes languish in awful states of disrepair that devalue surrounding homes even though they must by law maintain these properties," Klein said. "Worse, zombie properties that are in the legal limbo of foreclosure rot in communities throughout the state negatively impacting property values. This is a problem across New York State affecting homeowners’ greatest assets and we must hold banks accountable.”

In Rockland, zombie properties plague the county, accounting for about $9.8 million in property value depreciation. Bank-owned homes resulted in about $1.8 million in property depreciation.

Studies show homes within a 300-foot radius of a bank-owned or zombie home depreciate by 1.3 percent, an average of $5,000. 

“Owning a home is one of the most important investments a person will make in their lifetime," Carlucci said. "For many homeowners who have settled down in Rockland, zombie properties that have fallen into disrepair have blighted communities while simultaneously driving down property values. Rather than stand by and accept zombie properties as the status quo, we must adopt strict measures that will stem the tide of property value depreciation in Rockland.”

Klein and Carlucci plan to muster support from the legislature and Gov. Andrew Cuomo to help get the legislation passed.

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