April 24, 2009

With tens of thousands of homes across Florida left abandoned, government officials from Miami to Orlando have responded by sending crews out to mow lawns, clean pools and do other basic work and billing the banks once they take possession of the property.The state's banking industry wants to put a stop to the practice.Banking lobbyists have quietly crafted a measure in the Florida Legislature that would prevent cities and counties from forcing the banks that hold mortgages on properties in foreclosure to maintain those properties until they have actually acquired the title to the land. That foreclosure process can take six months or more.

Banking industry lobbyists hope to tack their language onto other legislation in the waning days of this year's legislative session, which is scheduled to end May 1.The language, written by the Florida Bankers Association, would also prevent cities from establishing registries to keep track of all the foreclosed homes in their area.''It's a big issue,'' said Anthony DiMarco, a lobbyist with the bankers association whose members include Bank of America, SunTrust, Wachovia and many others.Local ordinances aimed at making banks maintain foreclosed properties -- typically by allowing cities to impose liens or other charges on the land -- ''sound great,'' DiMarco said, ``but until we take title, we're not supposed to do anything with the property. We don't own the property.''