Ohio bans plywood securing of vacant property in favor of clear polycarbonate, law takes effect in April
OHIO: Ohio begins 2017 by becoming the first state where certain abandoned and vacant property can soon no longer be secured and boarded with plywood.
The Jan. 4 decision stipulates clear polycarbonate is the only boarding material to be used to secure those vacant and abandoned homes. The new law takes effect at the beginning of April.
The language of House Bill 463 reads:
“Sec. 2308.031. (A) No person shall use plywood to secure real property that is deemed vacant and abandoned under section 2308.02 of the Revised Code. (B) Division (A) of this section shall not apply to any person that uses plywood to secure real property that is deemed vacant and abandoned under section 2308.02 of the Revised Code prior to the effective date of this section.”
Though clear polycarbonate does not eliminate the ability for unauthorized persons to enter vacant homes, it can deter break-ins and can reduce the eyesore effect of abandoned homes in
neighborhoods.
Clear polycarbonate was also put to use by Fannie Mae in an announcement Nov. 4, 2016, at the National Property Preservation Conference in Baltimore, MD.
The announcement stated that as of Nov. 9, 2016, (and with a 90-day window to fully adapt the policy change) all Fannie Mae REO vacant properties or Fannie Mae vacant properties in pre- or
post-foreclosure must be secured by a plywood alternative; with clear polycarbonate boarding being listed as a plywood alternative.
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