Alabama's New Law Targets Vacant Properties in Birmingham

0:00It's April 10th. This is Birmingham News Today, driven by AI. Alabama's legislature just dropped a new law hitting vacant properties in Birmingham, hard. Owners got to register any building empty for more than three months. Keep it maintained and pay fees starting at $250. That fee jumps 150% each year, topping out at $1,000. It's all about cracking down on blight citywide. The push comes from spots like older neighborhoods loaded with rundown spots, dragging everything down. Rep Patrick Sellers from District 57 says, these eyesores hurt communities and owners need to step up, fix them, flip them, or sell them fast. Folks on the ground are feeling it. Veronica Edwards Johnson, head of the Powderly neighborhood, points to houses sitting empty 25 years or more, blocking progress. She wants quick cleanups to boost how the area looks and lives. The city backs it too, saying it'll cut taxpayer costs by making owners pay up.

1:02Enforcement ramps up with surprise inspections, fines for slip-ups, and leans on properties of bills go unpaid. Meanwhile, the city is eyeing the final bill details to mess it with their blife fights. This kicks in October 1st, aiming to flip Birmingham's vacant lots from problems to possibilities real quick.