Recently, Compliance Connections was proud to serve as a co-sponsor along with Safeguard Properties and the American Association of Code Enforcement (AACE) for an exclusive scholarship opportunity open to active code enforcement professionals to attend this year’s National Property Preservation Conference (NPPC).
Since beginning in 2004, the NPPC has served as a premier platform for leaders, servicers and investors from across the mortgage industry gather to discuss current topics and develop solutions for the future. Through communication and teamwork, the event works to build consensus and establish standards for policies and services. Now in its 15th year, the conference recently took place November 3-5 in Washington, D.C.
As our final featured 2019 scholarship recipient, City of Boiling Spring Lakes, N.C., Code Enforcement Officer Bill Lathrop has officially worked in the field for a little over one year. However, he previously spent nearly 25 years working in fire/rescue and EMS (fire chief and paramedic supervisor) before relocating to North Carolina from New York. During his tenure as firefighter, Bill handled some aspects of code enforcement as well as performing fire safety inspections and other related work.
To be considered for one of five available scholarships, Bill was required to complete three essay questions centered around the Great Recession and his experiences as a code official. His responses can be found below.
How did the housing crisis in 2008 change the role of a code enforcement officer?
I believe the housing crisis, along with other financial complications, brought about a deeper need for the code enforcement officer to become more versatile. In essence, a typical CEO had to go from dealing with owner occupied properties with minor violations, to a larger work load of rental properties with growing violations of codes and ordinances. Properties were bought cheaper than normal by investors and became a source of income for these people, with little interaction on the investors part.
On the opposite side, with financial difficulties, people who were formerly homeowners were now forced to rent property in which an investor had purchased a foreclosure home and did little or nothing to repair or improve the property. The renter, most likely in a financially difficult situation already, would not put any additional money into a property not owned by them. This led to deterioration of the property which in turn also increased the workload for the CEO. Many times, code officers were utilized to attempt action by one party against another to either get the property returned to a better condition via the tenant, or to get the tenant out so the home could be re-rented for more income after repairs.Ten years since the housing crisis, the economy is improving, and mortgage default rates are declining. Have you noticed an improvement in your community? Be specific.
In some areas, yes. There were homes that were sold through foreclosure that allowed people the opportunity to improve their situation and become homeowners. This, in turn, created more pride in the property and community, allowing the community to prosper and flourish.
In many areas, however, I still see the trickle effects of the downturn. It also seems our area has seen an spike in the number of defaults again. Many of the properties obtained by investors during the initial down turn remain today as rentals, and the owners are not generally the most ambitious type. The properties are low-end and tend to need repairs — sometimes major repairs — and the owner will either make them on the cheap, or sometimes not at all, or use the problem as an opportunity to remove the current tenant and the make quick and inadequate repairs and then re-rent the same property for slightly more money to unsuspecting tenants.
This behavior can lead to another problem of high turn around in rental property and can also contribute to low community morale and increased blight with constant flows of new people through the neighborhood and the debris left behind that is not always taken care of in a timely manner. It also leads to increased workloads for enforcement officers as well.What is your biggest frustration when attempting to enforce code on residential properties?
What I have found to be one of my biggest frustrations in enforcing codes on residential properties has been the absentee property owners. We have a large number of properties in this city that are owned by people from outside of the area. Some are used as vacation homes, as we are a community that is close to the coast in the southeast. Many were bought and established 50 years ago or more, as property was cheap and proximity to barrier islands was a short drive. Now, most are still owned by family, whom have either never been here and just paid the minimal property taxes, or just forgotten and abandoned.
With the nearly nonexistent change in documented owners, contact proves difficult. If contact is made, most don’t have the ability to get here and keep up the property or have dilapidated structures torn down. Others just don’t want to be bothered with it. This leads to an even higher work load for me, having to go through all the processes required to obtain court orders and orders from governing boards to be able to move forward with clean up and abatement.
For those owners that are still local and even occupy the property, the flat out refusal to become compliant has been a big issue. Many see code enforcement as a violation of their rights as a property owner. They feel they own the property, they should be able to do whatever they please with it or on it, despite any regulations or ordinances in place.
When not busy at work, Bill loves spending time outdoors — preferably near or in the water. He is an avid sailor and fisherman and appreciates the sights and sounds of Southeast North Carolina’s beaches.
Congratulations, Bill! We appreciate everything that you do to serve your community.