§31-18E-2. Legislative findings.

The Legislature finds and declares that:

(1) Strong communities are important to the social and economic vitality of this state. Whether urban, suburban or rural, many communities are struggling to cope with vacant, abandoned and tax-delinquent properties.

(2) Citizens of this state are affected adversely by vacant, abandoned and tax-delinquent properties, including properties which have been vacated or abandoned due to mortgage foreclosure.

(3) Vacant, abandoned and tax-delinquent properties impose significant costs on neighborhoods, communities, municipalities and counties by lowering property values, increasing fire and police protection costs, decreasing tax revenues and undermining community cohesion.

(4) Vacant, abandoned and tax-delinquent properties contribute to blight, invite crime and pests and provide unsafe play spaces.

(5) There is an overriding public need to confront the problems caused by vacant, abandoned and tax-delinquent properties through the creation of new tools to enable municipalities and counties to turn vacant, abandoned and tax-delinquent spaces into vibrant places.

(6) Land reuse agencies, often called land banks in other jurisdictions, are one of the tools that municipalities and counties may use to facilitate the return of vacant, abandoned and tax-delinquent properties to productive use.