By Taylor Stuck, The Herald-Dispatch
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The West Virginia Senate is hoping to put a stop to a decrepit and dangerous blight slowly taking over the state — zombie properties.
Senate Bill 42, the Zombie Property Reclamation Act of 2021, as amended by the Senate Economic Development Committee, establishes a process for municipalities and counties to force foreclosure of dilapidated and unsafe buildings through the court system. A “zombie property” is a property that has been abandoned by an owner after defaulting on the mortgage.
“’Zombie properties’ is used around the country,” said bill sponsor Sen. Mike Woelfel, D-Cabell. “I wasn’t just being creative. Other states use this process, and I tried to take the best parts from other states for this bill.”
The bipartisan bill will allow municipalities and counties to begin court proceedings to force foreclosure to either begin or continue along if the property in question is deemed “unsafe, unsanitary, dangerous or detrimental to the public safety or welfare.” …
