Sitemap
Monday, October 30, 2017
On Sunday, October 29, residents, elected officials and candidates, and congregational leaders from across the city attended the Alliance for Congregational Transformation Influencing Our Neighborhoods (A.C.T.I.O.N.) public meeting at Mt. Zion Baptist Church to discuss ongoing issues with predatory land contracts and food deserts.
YNDC Executive Director Ian Beniston and Housing Director Tiffany Sokol joined State Rep. Michele Lepore-Hagan and Atty. Patricia Dugan from Community Legal Aid to discuss the dangers of entering into predatory land contracts and some strategies to address loopholes in the Ohio Revised Code that allow many out-of-state companies to take advantage of low-income citizens. City resident Craig Gilchrist shared his own shocking experience with a predatory land contract agreement. His home was in foreclosure from the beginning of his contract and he was not aware until he received an eviction notice on his door after never missing a $1,500 monthly payment. Rep. Lepore-Hagan urged attendees to call their lawmakers at 1-800-282-0253 to demand a second hearing for HB 368, which she introduced earlier this month. The Fair Lending through Land Contracts Act would require land contract purveyors to correct code violations and pay any outstanding fees before entering into an agreement with a buyer, among many other reforms.