Residents Share Concerns About Land Grabs, Malicious Conservators in First Public Meeting To Discuss Derelict Buildings Policy

On Monday night, Governor Albert Bryan Jr. and members of his executive team gathered in the auditorium of the Charlotte Amalie High School to discuss with members of the public his plan to deal with derelict and abandoned buildings in the territory.

According to Government House Chief of Staff Karl Knight, the courts would play an integral role in the process. Owners could voluntarily seek a conservatorship agreement should they find themselves unable to personally finance the renovation, repair or demolition of a property deemed derelict or abandoned. For those properties where ownership is in dispute, in question, or where owners are unwilling to address the conditions of the property, a third party can make a case to the court that a conservatorship needs to be imposed.

A conservator, Mr. Knight explained, must present a plan that includes a proposed scope of work and a financing plan that includes costing and revenue projections. Once the court approves, the conservator will then have a finite timeframe within which to execute the plan. “If you fulfill the purposes of the conservatorship…your conservatorship is terminated and the interest of that property reverts fully to the owners of record,” he explained. The conservatorship can also be terminated early, either if the property owner can prove to the court that they now have the resources and the will to make the appropriate remedies to the property themselves, or if the court finds that the conservator is not fulfilling their duties towards the property owner – that is to appropriately remediate the derelict property.

Conservators would be paid administrative fees out of federal grant funds to secure their services on behalf of the property owner, capped by the court to prevent profiteering. Proposed regulations include requiring the entity be a nonprofit that has been in existence for at least a year, with focus in community development, blight remediation, affordable housing and related fields. Noting that the proposal was subject to change, Governor Bryan responded to a resident’s concern by agreeing to consider a 5-year minimum lifespan for an organization to be considered for conservatorship. Conservators can then hire developers to do the necessary work.