Foreclosure Registry, New "Hoodwinked" Site Both Are Here

DOWNTOWN: Amid all that other drama today at City Hall, the Los Angeles City Council passed an ordinance that requires banks to register vacant, foreclosed properties in the city and allows the city to fine banks $1,000 per day for vacant homes they fail to maintain. Additionally, the City Workers Union has launched a web site--that's free and open to the public--called LA Hoodwinked that used Google maps to list foreclosures including homes that are in default. According to Elizabeth Brennan, Communications Director for SEIU 721, LA Hoodwinked uses info purchased from Realty Trac. After LA Hoodwinked gets a complaint, it'll be passed on to the Building Dept who will send out building inspectors, and then ultimately the banks will be fined. Let's hope that chain of command actually happens. [Curbed Staff]