Adrian voters will decide Nov. 4 whether to repeal a controversial ordinance enacted in 2024 requiring exterior inspections of homes before they can be sold — a measure city officials say combats blight, but critics argue burdens homeowners and complicates real estate transactions.
Adrian’s City Commission narrowly approved the ordinance 4-3. A month later, residents in opposition launched a petition drive to repeal the measure. The group, Adrian Residents for the Repeal of the Point of Sale Ordinance, gathered over 2,200 valid signatures, exceeding the required threshold to force a public vote.
Commissioners voted 5-2 to place the issue on the ballot, rather than repealing it outright.
Opponents argue the ordinance “disproportionately impacts low-income buyers and sellers and first-time homeowners.”
“The city should not be involved in private property sales,” said resident Carrie Smith. “If we want to keep Adrian an attractive place to move to … then we need to keep housing affordable and accessible to all.”
Smith said the ordinance’s biggest flaw is a requirement for repair escrows, which goes against the policy of various mortgage lenders.
“We believe current blight laws should be enforced instead of adding (another) costly hurdle to buyers and sellers,” Smith said.
A counter-group has formed in support of the ordinance, arguing in favor of eliminating blight — which remains a key topic of discussion and concern among residents.
Adrian has inspected 141 homes since the ordinance went into effect in November 2024. Of those, only 18 passed without substantial repair requirements. Of the remaining, 74 homes had repairs completed before closing and 49 are still in the process of making repairs.
— Contact reporter Corey Murray at cmurray@lenconnect.com or follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @cmurrayhdn.
This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: Adrian voters will decide whether to repeal controversial home sales ordinance Nov. 4
Reporting by Corey J. Murray, The Daily Telegram / The Daily Telegram
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
