Two years later, Lake Worth zombie foreclosure lives on

Article Courtesy of The Palm Beach Post

By Kim Miller

Published March 15, 2014

A gated suburban Lake Worth neighborhood has been trying to rid itself of a foreclosure eyesore since at least 2012 with little success.

In August 2012, The Palm Beach Post wrote about the home at 8072 Burlington Court, learning it had gone into foreclosure in September 2010.

More than three years later, it’s still sitting there decaying. The lender, JPMorgan Chase hasn’t gotten a final judgment yet against the home, so it remains in the name of homeowner Vernon Campbell. Campbell appears to be long gone.

Initially, Chase said the company was being blocked from entering the gated community to work on the home. According to Chase at the time, the last time it had inspected it was February 2012.

The house has a hole in its roof, shingles falling off, and neighbors fear another looming hurricane season will finish it off, as well as taking out neighboring houses.

This home at 8072 Burlington Court, Lake Worth, has been in foreclosure since 2010.

“This whole situation has gone on beyond a reasonable time for remedy and is now well beyond the point of an eye sore,” said neighbor Mike Herndon. “It has reached the point that this property has become a hazard to the public and surrounding homes.”

In May, Palm Beach County put a $50-a-day lien on the home until it was secured and cleaned up.

Today, the Irvine, Calif.-based company RealtyTrac will discuss so-called “zombie” foreclosures at a national conference in Cleveland. Palm Beach County was second only to Detroit for its number of vacant and foreclosed homes in 2013.

The real estate market has definitely improved, but from where Herndon is sitting, not enough.