Rising Foreclosures Strain Municipal Services

DISTRICT HEIGHTS, Md. (WUSA) -- The strain of rising foreclosures is so bad, it's now taking public works crews off the streets in places like District Heights.

Crews are spending time cleaning up abandoned property instead.

"There's a lot of them now starting to come out of the woodwork," said code inspector John Lamarre of the abandoned properties turning to blight in his community.

The city has cited at least 33 abandoned homes in foreclosure for code violations since May, Lamarre says.

If owners, including out-of-town banks, don't respond, District Heights dispatches an 8-man public works crew to clean up the properties. In some cases, the weeds are growing chest high in front lawns.

Crews are diverted from their normal rounds maintaining streets, gutters and open space areas.

"We don't have all the money in the world," says Lamarre. But he says the city will attempt to do what it can while it can in hopes the real estate market will recover.

Inspectors aim to recover the costs of clean up along with fines that can go as high as $1000 by placing liens on the properties.