AG extends demolition funds deadline

Ohio Attorney General’s Office news

COLUMBUS — Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine today announced that he will extend the deadline for counties to use all of their Moving Ohio Forward demolition grant funds from December 31 of this year to May 31, 2014.

“I am pleased with the progress made by communities to raze abandoned and blighted homes,” said Attorney General Mike DeWine. “By extending the deadline through late spring, we hope that counties will continue to take advantage of the funds available to them to get rid of abandoned homes that have attracted crime and are community eyesores.”

Several counties have asked for the extension due to wet and rainy conditions this spring and finding qualified demolition contractors was also an issue in some areas.

Of Ohio’s share of the National Mortgage Settlement, $75 million for demolition was directed by the Attorney General to go to all of Ohio’s counties, based on the percentage of foreclosures filed in each county between 2008-2011. The National Mortgage Settlement that the attorneys general reached in 2012 is with the following mortgage servicers:  Ally, Bank of America, Citi, JP Morgan Chase and Wells Fargo.

To date the Attorney General’s Office has reimbursed counties more than $22.3 million and documented a total of more than $36.6 million in the demolition of more than 4,700 units. The average cost per demolition is $7,700.

A list of counties, with the funds available to them and the amount they have been reimbursed for so far is available on the Ohio Attorney General’s website.  The chart shows a $70,485,494 allocation, not $75 million, as not every county has requested its full allocation.  With the extension, counties have additional time to spend all of their current funds, and also time to determine if they want to use their full allocation, based on the demolition needs within their county.