Posted by theduckling I know for Houston an organization called the department of neighborhoods is responsible for lawfully attempting to demolish abandoned buildings that are known to cause problems. In an article I read (will cite below) it claims they have a database of 9,010 buildings. Unfortunately it is not public and I have no idea how one would go about obtaining access, but am open to suggestions. As far as police departments I sometimes see "Affidavit on file with HPD" spray painted on buildings. I looked it up later and it means that the property owners have filed the paperwork to allow police officers to enter the building at any time and arrest anyone on the premises for any and all laws they may have broken as they see fit. This is also not a matter of public record to my knowledge but I would love to see that database of buildings too.
Link to referenced article http://abc13.com/archive/7265543/
|
Ah man, I deal with these buildings on a daily basis in south Houston and the coastal region. It all breaks down into taxes and code enforcement at the end of the day. Has the owner of X property paid his taxes? Is he mowing his lawn/keeping in shape with the neighborhood guidelines? Is the building about to fall down due to poor structural integrity? Are there clear signs nonresidents (ie crackheads/prostitutes) are living there?
At some point enough of the list gets checked off and it falls into this 'demo' list. They then have to attempt to contact the owner (this process can take months depending on city/county), then take it to the public (this process can also take forever)... THEN it gets put on this list in most places.
The database gets to a point where most of the building are SO far gone they're an absolute safety risk to enter. At this point the city has taken control of the place, thus the police presence. It's a giant headache to say the least.
Edit: I forgot the whole reason I came to this thread... you're a god, Peptic! Great set and even better story. I may have to start the ole' lunch bribe game with the local gentlemen in blue to dig out some (semi) sanctioned new exploration places.