Neighbors beware

Friday, April 25, 2008 | 2:06 a.m.

Banks and mortgage companies have been overwhelmed by the foreclosure crisis in Nevada, which leads the nation in the number of foreclosures per capita. As a result, many neighborhoods have been marked by untended homes, and that is a problem that could continue to grow.

In the first quarter of this year, there was a 34 percent increase in foreclosure actions over the same period last year.

Some Nevadans who are behind on their mortgage payments are taking out their frustration on their property before being forced out by foreclosure, a legislative committee was told this week.

Assemblyman Marcus Conklin, D-Las Vegas, chairman of the committee, said such actions showed that people had lost hope and didn’t believe they could refinance their loans to stay in their homes.

“It’s not a new phenomenon,” Conklin told the Associated Press after the hearing. “People are upset that they’re losing their homes and on their way out say, ‘Heck, burn it down.’”

There is no excusing such actions. Trashing a property can create neighborhood blight and cause property values to plummet, besides being a criminal act.

Unoccupied houses in the neighborhood can cause health problems, too. For example, pools left neglected can become a breeding ground for mosquitoes and become an attraction to rats and other animals.

City and county inspectors charged with enforcing health and zoning laws are faced with the difficulty of trying to find someone who can fix the problem, which can be a struggle when the owner is a corporation or faraway investor.

Conklin’s panel is studying proposals to recommend to the 2009 Legislature, and this is a problem that should not be forgotten.

The foreclosure crisis has been minimized by many, including Gov. Jim Gibbons, as a problem limited to people who failed to make a good financial decision or just couldn’t keep up with their mortgage payments. But the bottom line is that people who live in neighborhoods with foreclosed homes are paying a price for something that is not their fault. And that’s not right.