Conservatorship

Conservatorship is Pennsylvania's latest legislative tool for reclaiming abandoned property.  It involves the appointment of a third party to take possession and control of a property in order to make repairs and return the property to productive use. The conservator is appointed by the court after a formal process and hearing, including notice to the owner and lien holders. It allows a property to be salvaged when the owner is not able or willing to step forward to make the necessary repairs.

Conservatorship Clearinghouse

Municipalities and organizations across the Commonwealth are learning to use this new law to fight blight in their communities, and the Housing Alliance is here to help.  We maintain this page as a clearinghouse on the latest news, resources and legisation dealing with Conservatorship. Check back often for updates.

If you have news on Conservatorship efforts in your community, or questions about its use, please contact us at blightedprop@housingalliancepa.org.

Resources for Conservatorship

Quick Guide: New Tools to Address Blight and Abandonment

This Quick Guide provides a compilation and brief description of state laws recently enacted for Pennsylvania's communities to address the problem of vacant, abandoned and blighted private property.

A New Vision for Housing Market Recovery: What the Data Says About What Works

A New Vision for Housing Market Recovery: What the Data Says About What Works, new housing alliance of pennsylvania publication

Philadelphia Works to Combat Abandoned Property with Conservatorship

A variety of recent activities in Philadelphia indicate the potential for significant use of the new Conservatorship Act to address blighted and abandoned property.

Case File: Conservatorship in Butler County

Complete pleadings of the Redevelopment Authority of the County of Butler v. Kathleen C. Capenos, an application of blighted property Conservatorship.

Overview and Testimony on PA HB 2188

A transcript of testimony by Housing Alliance Executive Director Elizabeth Hersh in support of PA HB 2188, The Blighted and Abandoned Property Conservator Act.

Using Conservatorship to Reclaim Properties: Case Studies

On June 10th, the Housing Alliance hosted a webinar featuring Andrew Menchyk, Jr., Esq. and Richard L. Vanderslice, Esq., two attorneys who have successful used blighted property conservatorship (Act 135 of 2008) to rehab or demolish properties on both sides of the state. This document is the presentation they gave along with Cindy Daley, Policy Director of the Housing Alliance, to provide both background on conservatorship and how they put this powerful tool to use.

Regional Housing Legal Services - Conservatorship Implementation and Best Practices Manual

Regional Housing Legal Services (www.rhls.org) has just released a Conservatorship Implementation and Best Practices Manual for attorneys on how to use the newly enacted Conservatorship Law. This will be a useful toolkit for those seeking to eliminate blight to evaluate the property as a candidate for conservatorship, gather all pertinent facts and documents, and enable legal counsel to prepare a conservatorship petition.

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