MEMPHIS, Tenn. — City Council members and Shelby County officials told WREG they are working out a plan that could seriously cut down on blight all across the city.
It’s called Mow-to-Own.
Officials said if you take care of a vacant piece of property long enough, you could earn credit with the city to eventually buy it.
A policy like this would require changes to state law, but could help people turn blighted properties into beautiful neighborhoods.
Memphians said it’s a way they can take ownership of their neighborhoods again.
Daryll Brown told us he mows, clears and maintains a lot on Hewlett Street.
He’s been doing it for the past nine months.
“It’s right next to my mom, and I want to make sure she’s okay,” Brown explained.
He said he wanted to buy it, but back taxes would cost him nearly $15 thousand.
He was only willing to pay about $15 hundred.
“I’m willing to buy it from the city if they are willing to negotiate with it and be reasonable. Even allow me to pay them monthly,” Brown explained.
Councilman Berlin Boyd told us he wanted to develop the program to give people like Brown the ability to eventually own these vacant properties.
“Ultimately what’s important is creating stable neighborhoods,” Boyd said. “We definitely need more stable neighborhoods in our city.”
And this area had a lot of them.
The county currently has 4,300 blighted properties up for sale.
The city has 240 and several hundred more coming down the pike every year.
However, lawyers said the mow-to-own program could bring about possible lawsuits.
What about trespassing laws?
What if they get hurt while maintaining it?
Officials said these are all issues that will need to be addressed in the policy.
Other cities with Mow-to-Own programs give people like Brown a credit for every time they do work on the property.
They use that money to help them afford to buy it in the end.
Right now, taxpayers shell out more than $2 million every year for the city and county to mow these lots.
“While I’m doing this, they could be doing something different. That money can go somewhere else,” Brown added.
And city councilmen were hopeful this plan could help free up that money in the future.
“It’s definitely a longer process than anticipated, but I think what you heard today is you’re going to get there,” Councilman Boyd said.
The committee plans to meet again on July 14 to draft up some questions for the lawyers to get moving on this new policy.
