Detroit Suburb Selling Off Vacant Lots For $1

WARREN (WWJ/AP) - A Detroit suburb is offering to sell city-owned vacant lots to adjacent property owners for $1.

Warren Mayor Jim Fouts made the announcement in a news release Wednesday, saying the suburb owns 136 lots from past tax-reverted purchases from Macomb County and 70 more will be available with this year's tax sale.

Fouts told WWJ's Sandra McNeill the idea is for residents to "buy the lot next door" and pledge to keep it up, including shoveling snow and mowing the grass.

"They get to have ownership on a property that basically is a vacant eyesore, and the city gets to have that eyesore taken care of," he said. "We want people to maintain the property. The lots are generally small and not worthy of anything other that someone taking ownership who is adjacent to it."

Fouts said the buyers will be responsible for closing costs that won't exceed $700 per lot. Additional property taxes will be around $150 annually.

The mayor called it a "win-win" deal for Warren and the nearby property owners. He said the price is hard to beat, plus the city will no longer have to cut weeds or grass and shovel snow at the sites.

"They get additional property that they can do anything with. They can have it for a garden or they can have it for just a nice, scenic view," Fouts said. "If you live next door to it, you could speculate and some day you could sell your property and, you know, the land would be worth more."

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