THE CITY OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS

MAYOR DOMENIC J. SARNO

HOME OF THE BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME

City of Springfield • 36 Court Street • Springfield, MA 01103-1687 • (413) 787-6100

Press Release: Contact: Jim Leydon, (413) 886-5166, JLeydon@springfieldcityhall.com,

Officials to Tour Redeveloped Homes and Highlight the City’s Highly

Successful Receivership Program

Who: Mayor Domenic J. Sarno and Springfield Economic Development Officials

What: Tour of Rehabilitated Residential Homes

Where: 65 Riverview Terrace, Springfield, MA 01108

When: Friday, September 18, 2015 at 11:15 a.m.

September 16, 2015 -Springfield, MA- Mayor Domenic J. Sarno and Springfield Economic

Development Officials will be highlighting the City’s successful Home Receivership Program. The tour

will be kicked off at 65 Riverview Terrace, which is currently on the market after a successful

rehabilitation.

Mayor Domenic J. Sarno stated, “Post “great recession” we needed innovative solutions to combat the

growing number of distressed properties that were negatively impacting our neighborhoods. I am proud

to report the City’s receivership program has significantly contributed to rehabilitating over 250 homes

all across Springfield and is becoming a state wide model.”

For the past seven years, receivership has been an important tool to stabilize neighborhoods and fight

blight. Receivership allows the city to ask the court to appoint someone to take over a property that is in

violation of the State Sanitary Code and it is clear that the owner is either unwilling or unable to bring

the property into code compliance. In most cases receivers de-lead properties as part of the receivership,

which in turn makes the properties safe for children to reside in by eliminating the public health issues

associated with lead paint.

Court appointed receivers invest their own funds in the rehabilitation of the properties; public dollars

are rarely used. Receivers’ obtain a lien that is superior to all other liens except municipal taxes; all

back taxes are paid as part of the receivership process and the properties are returned to habitable

condition, often with a higher fair market value than prior to the receivership. In some cases the mere

request for a receiver has resulted in either an owner or a lienholder (usually a mortgage holder) to come

forward, repair and maintain the property.

The properties in receivership are rehabbed with the oversight of the court, and are subjected to very

frequent inspections during the process. In select cases, receivership has been applied to demolish

properties where: there is no insurance available, the owner does not have the resources to demolish it,

and the cost of the demolition is less than the value of the vacant lot.

***Please note: media availability will be held at 65 Riverview Terrace with a quick home tour after the

speaking program. Attached are a brochure, a map highlighting all the receiverships to date and a map

of the homes that are on the tour in case you wish to follow. If any members of the media wish to utilize

transportation that is being provided please RSVP before Friday. ***

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