CLARENCE, N.Y. (WBEN) - The latest initiative to combat zombie properties has been unveiled by the Erie County Clerk.
The Erie County Clerk's ZOMBIES Initiative is intended to address vacant or abandoned homes, specifically with those that still have a mortgage.
Erie County Clerk Mickey Kearns announced the partnership with the Western New York Law Center to identify vacant and abandoned properties and to have them addressed through maintenance and repair.
"One of the things we noticed is that we get a lot of complaints in from neighbors and we wanted to be more proactive in making sure they know what's happened with these houses," Kate Lockhart, Director of the WNY Law Center's Vacant and Abandoned Property Program, said. "That's why we're rolling out the Zombie Watch program. We're putting signs in front of properties so neighbors know where to file complaints."
She said that some banks are not compliant over permits and that their goal will be to ensure that proper codes are being enforced.
Complaints can be filed by visiting www.eriecountyclerkzombies.com or by visiting www.dfs.ny.gov