Missouri Needs Land Banks Now:
Support House Bill 2065 & Senate Bill 750
Cities and towns across our State are struggling with the issue of vacant, blighted properties.
People don’t feel safe when there are problem properties in our communities.
Surrounding property values decline and neighborhoods become less desirable to potential buyers when they are filled with derelict homes and businesses. Unless we make some critical changes, it will only get worse.
Often, there are individuals who would like to make things better by buying a property in decline and fixing it up. They soon learn that the challenges they face to obtaining the property can be overwhelming.
How can we solve this problem in our towns and cities?
Now more than ever, Missouri needs a system that can help strengthen our neighborhoods through the revitalization of vacant properties for new businesses and homeowners to use. Forming a judicial tax sale system along with land banks is the simple way to create the change we need now.
In a judicial tax sale system, a court would supervise the sale, protecting property owners’ rights by ensuring that the tax sale buyer purchases the property free and clear of any liens or title defects.
Land banks help solve the dilemma of properties that don’t sell at auction and have high tax debt. They serve as the holder of titles to vacant or tax-delinquent properties that aren’t sold at auction. And when these titles enter the land bank after going through the judicial tax sale system, they arrive with zero baggage.
What would it take to make land banks a reality for every community in Missouri?
We need the support of Missouri legislators to pass House Bill 2065 & Senate Bill 750. This critical legislation would allow local governments across the state to establish their own land banks, providing communities that have not had it before access to this invaluable tool.
Currently, only select cities and towns have been granted the ability to establish land banks. By passing House Bill 2065 & Senate Bill 750, legislators can ensure that every community across Missouri has the opportunity to use this powerful tool to address the issue of neglected properties in their area.
Let’s take action and make a positive impact on the lives of all Missouri residents and the neighborhoods they call home. Join us in urging legislators to pass House Bill 2065 & Senate Bill 750.
Act now! Tell your representative to support House Bill 2065 & Senate Bill 750 and allow all towns in Missouri the choice to establish land banks.
For buyers this means no tax debt, no liens, no title defects, and no worries.
What makes land banking so great?
The land bank serves as a one stop shop for vacant properties—maintaining and marketing the vacant properties it owns. Municipalities and community members can work with the land bank to find creative ways to get abandoned property back to productive use.
Whether a neighborhood needs a new park, more small businesses, or greater housing options for first-time homebuyers, a land bank has the ability to take those ideas and look for partners to help bring them to life.
What would this kind of legislation mean for our communities at large?
The greatest benefit is that counties can start collecting taxes on the homes sold through land banks because there are new owners. This means more money for schools, public safety, and all the other important work local governments do.
What’s the bottom line?
Together with a judicial tax sale system, local land banks would help communities across Missouri fight vacancy and blight and bring wealth back to their neighborhoods.
Legislation like this would give any Missouri county the opportunity to use a judicial tax sale system and allow cities to create their own local land banks.
This system would be a win for everyone—owners, prospective buyers, and the community at large. Judicial tax sales protect private property rights, giving owners peace of mind knowing they’ll get a warning if they’re behind on taxes. They will have the opportunity to pay and keep their property out of any auctions. Prospective buyers can buy properties knowing their new properties are free of tax debt and title defects.
Combining a judicial tax sale system with land banking will help get vacant “problem” properties back to productive use with the help of the whole community.
