Geez!!  That stinks.  Agents who handle foreclosures often have to out of pocket for maintenance and then wait for months to be reimbursed by the bank. 

The city is just taking the shortest route to the owner, the agent. 

That stinks. 

Jim- Ouch...guess the next step is to make sure the Bank gives some upfront $$$ for Maintenance.  I just closed an REO and they hired a pool man, and a Gardner before California passed the law saying they would be fined for eyesores.....

This really is absurd!   The agent has no control over property condition - it is the owner of record.  Do city officials really think that picking up trash and cutting grass is one of the things real estate licensees are REQUIRED to do?  Unreal!

Lenn Harley, Homefinders.com, MD & VA Real Estate  The city is broke!  I wonder how much of this has to do with revenue as opposed to a fine.  The city is laying off by the busload.  It will be interesting...since some of these listings ae owned by several banks...that is why they are in financial limbo.  But to fine the agents hefty fines etc?  Some of these have water bills over 150K!  What then!

Kathy McGraw ~ Calif Broker (CELLing Realty)  I would not take unless I had someone that could take care of the properties.  There has to be a fund...

Margaret Woda, Maryland REALTOR (RE/MAX VISION)  Like I mentioned earlier....there are loads of fees dues on the properties, water, sewer etc...  Some of those past due notices are in the 6 figure range.  That poor agent on one property paid over 3K in fines then lost the foreclosure listing to another agent.  Still want to work foreclosures?

Talk about not wanting to take a listing for sure.  I think they just see easy money.

This sounds as if no one thought it through.  Fining an agent that much for property that he doesn't own is robbery.  let us know what happens.

Why isn't the board of realtors lobbying city hall???  I would get an attorney and sue the city of Atlanta for not uniformly enforcing the same ordinance against ALL eyesore properties, let alone fining the  realtors for the owners responsibilities.

We got the law changed several years ago so tenants who take out water in their name have to pay the water bill, not the owner.

I don't like to diss my "hometown", but the City Of Atlanta government /CIty Council  are disfunctinoal and need a complete overhaul to get rid of all the incompetent "workers".  Are they patterning after Congress???!!!  I sure hope Clark Howard runs for mayor!

Jim...OMG that would suck..ANyway, we were working on a whole subdivision in Central Fla..and were contacted by a city emplyee to let us know the taxes and other fees were nearly 2 years behind..Thanks for the heads up I said, but that publically posted info is the easiest part of due dilligence!!

Nice post..Keep up the good work

This is NOT directed at you Jim so please don't think that. But my question is this: Then who should be held accountable?  I would freak out if there was a foreclosure next door to me and it was knee high with grass and weeds and run down. I think I would go over and mow the grass though. I'm sure other people don't know what to do so I'm assuming they call the sign in the yard and then complain. I think I would too.

John Walters (Specialized Real Estate)  It is easy money for City!

Barbara S. Duncan ABR, CRS, GRI, e-PRO Searcy AR (RE/MAX Advantage)  I will!

Phil  I understand the Realtors do have a meetng set up.  There are fines for real estate agents for signage etc...but I've never heard of anything like this.

Mike Norvell Sr., Developers Capital Realty (Developers Capital Realty, LLC)  Thanks!

LaNita Cates (REMAX of Joliet)  Not bothering me.  Each city has different cods and regulations.  Agents should know the most obvious, and be working with a broker that will advise them.  I would have gone to a hearing wiht a good attorney.    IN hte Atlanta area there are counties that can enofrce sinage fines on one..it is a $2500 second offense.  I do not use directional sinage for that reason.

Jim:  Sounds like this is something that needs to be in the listing agreement with the bank.  It's their property, so it's there responsibility.  Can't believe the city of Atlanta is fining agents.

 Chris Ann Cleland, GRI (Long & Foster)  Cities can do a lot of things.  The important thing is for agents to step back and see there is a lot more to our business than just sticking a sign in the ground.

beauracracy at its best jim...plain and simple. its a shame

Having lived in Atlanta at one point a few years ago, this is totally something I would believe the city would do;  as another poster said, their administration is embarrassingly dysfunctional.  This is just the latest example of how out of control they are.  Just nuts.

Susan Haughton Alexandria, VA REALTOR® (Long & Foster REALTORS® Old Town Alexandria)   They are broke.  Water bills in the city of atlanta are going to increase to almost 100% in the next 5 years.  It is already the most expensive water in the country!  The City of Atlanta is broke in more than one way.

Steve Harless (REALTY WORLD LUXURY HOMES -702.217.1680)  It is a crying shame! 

Yet another shortsighted attempt to increase revenue while driving business away from the city. I would certainly think twice before taking any distressed listing. The owner would have to agree to maintain it.

That doesn't make sense at all, the realtor is responsible for listing the home not cleaning and maintaining it.  Hopefully, that doesn't last for long...definitely unfair to agents who are being ticketed.

Mike Saunders (Keller Williams Realty - Greater Athens)   it is a very short sighted solution from a city with financial woes that is becoming desperate.  They laid off a whole bunch of police and fire fighters this week.

Colorado Springs Realty Patricia Beck (Prudential Professional Realtors, GRI) Well a lot of times Realtors get put into awkward positions, utilites, water, gas and electric.  Stuff happens.  You also must know what is occuring in your local markets.  Otherwise it may be your problem.

Thanks for sending me the link to this Jim.  Don't know how I missed it the first time.  Actually, I have had a few calls over the years from homeowner associations telling me that the grass needed to be cut for a listing of mine.  Politely, I told the caller that I was not responsible for cutting the grass (or doing the dishes for that matter) of the home.  Never heard any more on the issue.

Ed DeChristopher, CRS©,Fredericksburg VA (RE/MAX Supercenter)  This story is enough for me not to take any distressed listings in the ccity of Atlanta.  I will not be charged $3500 like the agent in the story.

I guess it would be good to not put up a for sale sign on any distress property, as that must be how they know who to fine, that's just crazy.

Mary Strang, WI Real Estate (RE/MAX Hill Country)  Most new agents will not be following the news.  I'd go a step futher, and not take the listing.

Jim

Has anyone challenged the legality of this. They say they are after agents that are really in a property management role but does an exclusive right to sell create this type of relationship, I doubt it. I'm sure the city is counting on the fact it would cost much more to fight than the fine.

Terry Lynch (GMAC The Kee Group)  To my knowledge no one has challenged this.  The local Realtor Board was supposed to have a sit down with city officials.  But that one agent and many others have paid the fines.  What persons need to know is that the city of Atlanta is in major trouble financially.  They have raised taxes, they're cutting back on services, they are laying off city employees, that have exponentially increased water bills and are running out of ideas for more money.