OPINION: Nuisance property a tough nut that's in need of some cracking

Everybody has one. Or, maybe they are one.

You know what we’re talking about. That neighbor who cuts his grass every three or four weeks, instead of every one or two, and who doesn’t weed the flower beds because, well, what’s the difference between a weed and a flower anyway?

Go ahead. Shake your collective head. People. You just can’t do anything with ‘em.

But what about when annoyingly mediocre yard care goes a step or three further? What about someone who never mows his yard, lets his house fall into disrepair and piles his garbage on the street? Now that’s not an annoyance. That’s a nuisance — or worse.

The topic, which has national implications, bubbled up to the surface here again this week. Representatives from the Timrod Park Neighborhood Association (TPNA) presented Florence City Council with an impassioned plea to do something to stop the blight that is creeping steadily into their neighborhood, just as its rejuvenation prospects are beginning to gain some traction. And Wednesday, municipal officials from around the Pee Dee gathered in Florence to discuss issues of mutual interest. Among the most pressing, all agreed, was securing a quick and legal method of dealing with dilapidated housing.

The problem is a sticky one. Nowhere does housing stock fall into disrepair because homeowners really prefer it that way. Circumstance — old age, unemployment, sickness, bad luck — makes maintenance difficult. Then something breaks or rots. Now the problem is more serious — and more expensive. Soon the only solution is demolition. But, as critics of “bulldozer justice” have long pointed out, tearing down a blighted block is not the same as building it up.

Beyond all that is a legal thicket that makes movement difficult, even by governments that are so inclined.

Homes in disrepair are often rentals owned by long-distance landlords. Some of those are not responsive to pleas for cleanups and fix-ups. Others have no certain owners, the title chain have disappeared with the death of an elderly owner and the assumption of residency by a relative, who then moves and passes unofficial custody on to another and another. Years later, when legal action is brought, calling upon the owner to fix up or pay up, no legally recognized owner can be found.

And, it must be said, although it pains us somewhat to say it, there are a certain percentage of citizens — it seems like a pretty high percentage here in South Carolina, home of the individual right — who believe government doesn’t have the right to tell an owner how to maintain his property or actually make him do it right.

So it is complicated to address this problem. But it is not impossible and it should be done. A city that looks like it’s falling part probably is. And while perception isn’t everything, it certainly is something. Civic pride, the impression we make on outsiders, the quality of life available to our citizens — it all matters. Dealing with our crumbling housing stock is imperative for a city with aspirations for improvement.

We think Florence should, and does have, such aspirations, and so we applaud the Timrod Park group for once again weighing in on this topic. We encourage Florence City Council and other elected officials to grind their way toward some sort of legislative solution.

Find a way to hold owners responsible for something beyond minimal habitability. Heck, find a way to find owners. Give city officials a fast way for dealing with recalcitrant property owners. Yes, property rights must be protected.

But that goes for everyone.

Including someone unfortunate enough to live beside … well, you know who you are.