Atlanta Plans ‘Blight Tax’ on Absentee Owners, Abandoned Properties – WSB-TV Channel 2

“This legislation addresses a major concern for District 3 residents, who have for too long been the victims of neglected and blighted properties whose owners are content to wait and profit,” Amos said in a statement. “The blight tax will give us much greater leverage to persuade these owners to clean up their property or sell it to a better steward who will.”

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For larger properties, the proposal would also require owners to agree to a detailed redevelopment plan. The plans would have to take into account what the city calls neighborhood goals related to connectivity, transportation and public amenities.

The mayor’s office said the proposed blighted property tax would be used “to combat neglected properties that contribute to blighted conditions and disinvestment in Atlanta’s neighborhoods.”

Under the plan, the ordinance would allow the city to push owners to repair or redevelop blighted properties while allowing the city court to impose the tax on the properties in question, “fundamentally changing the economics of careless land speculation.”

All occupied properties would be exempt from the blight tax program to ensure that no one living there is involuntarily displaced.

“Since taking office, our administration has acted with urgency to address substandard housing and root out negligent landlords,” Dickens said in a statement. “This new policy will give the city a powerful tool to crack down on absentee corporate landlords who view real estate as a cheap investment vehicle rather than a part of the fabric of our communities.”

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