No. Va. county asks residents to report vacant homes

WOODBRIDGE, Va. (AP) _ Prince William County officials are asking residents to report vacant homes in their neighborhoods to help combat foreclosure-related blight.

The county wants to get a better idea of how many homes could require attention — from overgrown lawns and unkempt trash to potential vandalism at vacant properties.

Prince William is suffering from the most foreclosures of any Virginia county, with about 7,000 homes affected. Officials expect at least 2,700 homes will require county oversight for maintenance and lawn mowing. That could cost about $1 million.

The county is adding additional staff for the summer to handle the work.

Officials say they fear deterioration at vacant properties could begin to damage property values.

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Information from: The Washington Examiner, http://www.examiner.com

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press.