Flexible foreclosure policy wins approval
The Uniontown Redevelopment Authority unanimously approved an amended foreclosure policy that provides flexibility in dealing with residents with delinquent mortgage payments. The amendment approved Tuesday requires the authority to notify residents who obtained mortgage loans through the authority when their payments become delinquent for 30 days.
The notice will include the amount owed, along with any additional late fees, and inform the mortgagee that he or she has 30 days from the date the notification letter is received to pay the delinquent amount or to make payment arrangement with executive director Bill Long.
“It gives me a little more latitude to work with some people,” Long said. “I don’t want to foreclose.”
Solicitor Sam Davis said the policy was proper and gives Long time to work with authority mortgage holders.
If efforts to resolve delinquencies fail, a foreclosure complaint will be filed, according to the new policy.
After a complaint is filed, any settlement shall include attorney fees and other costs incurred by the authority.
Turning to other business, Greg Hensh of McClure and Wolf CPA of Uniontown told the authority board that the 2001 audit was “clean.”
“Basically, we had a clean audit,” Hensh said. “We didn’t find any problems. The money was spent on what it was supposed to be spent on.”
He said the authority administers or serves as a conduit for federal funds through the community development block grant (CDBG) program, and revenues equaled expenditures.
“I like to hear you say everything’s clean,” board member John Oris said.
“I’ve lived here all my life and I want to see the city and the redevelopment authority thrive,” Hensh said.
In unrelated business, the board agreed to pay an estimated $400 for Long to attend a Department of Community and Economic Development environmental review training seminar on July 24 and 25 in Clarion.
Long said the training would allow him to perform the environmental studies that the authority currently pays the Pittsburgh consulting firm Mullin and Lonergran to conduct.
He said $400 would cover his registration, mileage and lodging expenses.
Board members agreed to send Long to a Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources training session to learn about recreation grants. The session is July 17 in Monroeville.
The board also approved asking Uniontown city council to pay half of the estimated $1,800 to $2,000 cost of sending rehabilitation specialist Mark Yauger to a nine-day building inspector training program at Southpointe this month.
Long said the training would be valuable because he predicts a surge in commercial and mixed-use development in the city over the next three years.
“He could assist (city zoning and code-enforcement officer) Myron (Nypaver) extremely well,” Long said.
“Aren’t we duplicating Myron?” Mayor Jim Sileo asked.
Long said he expects growth in commercial and mixed-use development and Yauger could work with Nypaver.
Sileo said he would look into the city’s budget to see if funds are available.